Harleywing: Part Three
by GraysonandQuinn
Summary: Since the birth of the rivalry between the Batman and the Joker, their sidekicks have battled beside them; Harley Quinn desperate for the Joker's attention, and Nightwing desperate for Batman's praise. But when they finally come face to face without the bias of their mentors, Dick Grayson and Harleen Quinzel see a future beyond the battle of good and wrong in Gotham. M for violence
1. I Felt Like A Change

_**It's a new day.**_

_**One month ago, Dick Grayson, alias Nightwing, lost the woman he loved twice within a week. First, she'd faked death to protect herself. Now, she'd died to protect him. Harley Quinn drew her last breath in his arms, and taken his heart to her grave. As well as her secret.**_

_**The first time that she'd 'died', Dick had lost his head. His family had watched as he'd spiraled out of control, drowning in grief and loss. Now that she was gone for good, Dick may repeat the same actions. His family watches him carefully, but the war wages on.**_

The Joker had gotten away.

She was pronounced dead.

The Batman family resumed their normal routines, and went their separate ways.

Damian, Bruce, and Selina returned to Wayne Manor.

Tim went back to the Teen Titans for a while.

Jason dropped off the face of the Earth.

Dick hadn't seen Barbara in a while, but he was sure she was doing just fine on her own. Every now and then, Batgirl would be in the news, so he assumed that she was doing all right. He put a wingding on the table, and then picked up another, starting to sharpen it.

Will had returned to the force, but he was changed. The scars around his lip had faded almost completely, but when he blinked Dick could still see the pinpricks where his eyes had been sewn shut. Dick's jaw clenched furiously.

_Knock knock knock._

Dick glanced up from the kitchen table as he was re-packing the wingdings in his new, slimmer pocketed gloves. He stared at the front door for a moment, and then looked back down at the table. The pounding sounded once more.

"One minute!" Dick called, standing and walking to the door. He opened it just a crack, examined his guest, and then let Tim into the apartment. "Want anything?" he asked politely, stepping back into the kitchen. Tim followed, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his navy blue blazer.

"Nah, I'm good."

"You sure?" Dick asked, glancing at him from the fridge as he pulled out a beer.

"Yeah. I thought you didn't drink?" Tim mused, watching him. Dick raised an eyebrow as he popped the lid off of the bottle against the countertop. "Okay," Tim muttered in surrender, leaning against the doorjamb of the kitchen.

"So what brings you here?" Dick asked. Tim eyed his bare, bruised and expertly bandaged torso. Dick looked like he was well rested, well fed, and relatively well taken care of besides the scrapes and bruises.

"I thought about lying just now, but really, Bruce sent me to check up on you. He wanted to know how you were doing since…"

"Yeah." Dick took advantage of Tim's pause and walked back to the table. Tim glanced down at it's scratched surface and whistled, admiring the array of weaponry.

"I like it," he said, straightening up and running a hand along the sharp, angular stripe on the chest of Dick's new Nightwing uniform. The stripe that ran across his chest and down his arms, once electric blue, was now a deep red.

"I felt like a change," Dick shrugged, sitting back down at the table and placing his beer next to a wingding.

"So you're ok, then?" Tim asked, slowly sliding into the seat across from Dick. He watched him carefully. Dick bit his lip and then nodded slowly.

"...I think I am."

"Last time this happened, you went berserk."

"Yes," Dick agreed. "And I _learned_ from that experience. I'm okay."

Tim looked down sadly.

"'_What happened?'" Dick repeated, looking up at him brokenly. Tim closed his eyes. It was unbearable to see his mentor, his role model, so destroyed at heart._

"_Dick… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tim replied, resting a hand on his brother's shoulder. Dick closed his eyes, unable to believe that this was happening again._

"_What?" he breathed weakly, barely even fighting acceptance anymore. Tim said the only thing that came to mind._

"_She's gone. God's taken her home." He whispered._

"_Why is he taking her home alone?" Dick choked, tears spilling over his Nightwing mask and down his bloodied cheek, dripping from his chin and onto the blue stripe across his chest._

"I hope you're okay," Tim sighed. Dick smiled and nudged him under the table with his foot, so he would look up.

"I can figure things out. I've accepted it. In the meantime… I can go to work in the day, get a little bit of sleep, and then go to work at nightfall. Tell Batman that I just need some time to do my own thing." Dick said, taking a drink of his beer. His brother looked at the array of stealth weaponry and technology laid out on the table.

"Okay. I'll tell him." Tim sighed and Dick looked at him seriously.

"If I get out of control again, one of you has to stop me," he told him, and Tim smiled.

"I'll sic Damian on you. He'll drag your ass back to the Batcave for a proper punishment," he said. Dick snorted, but Tim grew serious again. "No one has seen you in an entire month, Dick. We _are _all worried about you. With the new uniform you don't have a homing beacon in it, and you never even try to keep in touch. Just come by the mansion. I'm staying there for a couple of days because Bruce asked me to. Just stop in and say hi so he stops worrying and pestering me about it, okay? That's all I'm asking."

Dick looked down at the beer bottle in his hands. "Yeah, I'll drop by. But later. I was about to head out."

"It's midday, Dick," Tim said pointedly.

"Just because bats are afraid of the light doesn't mean I have to be. I work the night shift this week, so I have to be out during the day."

"You don't _have _to be out at all. You're gonna run yourself into the ground, Dick." Tim stood.

"I told you. I'm as healthy as ever. I'm okay, Tim." _There's that word again. You're 'okay'._

"Come back to the Manor with me. Now, don't tell me you'll come and then brush it off later. Come with me _now._" Tim insisted. Dick sighed.

"All right. Let me get dressed and I'll meet you down by your car." He finally complied, walking back to his bedroom as Tim stepped out the front door.

When Dick and Tim arrived at Wayne Manor, the blazing heat of summer made the air outside feel thick and heavy. Once inside, however, the heat was kept at bay by the thick stone walls and the air conditioning. Alfred greeted them at the door.

"Master Tim." He nodded. "Master Dick, good to see you again. You look well."

"I feel good, thank you." He replied, and for the first time this month, he was truly honest about it. "It's nice to see you too, Al. Where's Bruce?"

"In the parlor, Sir. I'll bring some lemonade." Alfred smiled and walked away. Tim and Dick walked into the parlor, and the conversation abruptly stopped. Selina sat on the couch, and another man with glasses and a suit sat opposite her; Bruce was standing by the windows, his hands in his pockets.

"Dick," Bruce said surprised. He glanced at Tim before returning his attention back. "How are you?"

"I'm just fine," Dick smiled a little. "Been a while, Bruce." His eyes settled on the broad- shouldered, bespectacled man on the sofa.

"It has," Bruce agreed, and then stepped forward. "Sorry. Dick, this is a friend, Clark Kent. Clark, this is the one I was telling you about."

Clark stood and shook Dick's hand as he looked between the two of them. "All good things, I hope?"

"Of course, Dick," Clark smiled, and then tripped over the coffee table, stumbling back into his seat on the sofa. Dick raised an eyebrow and looked at Bruce.

"Sorry," he frowned. "You can't be in here. We're discussing business that doesn't concern you," Bruce said curtly. Dick nodded.

"Of course. Is Damian upstairs?"

"I think so," Bruce replied.

"I'll go and look for him, then," Dick smiled. "Nice meeting you, Mr. Kent." He walked out with Tim as Alfred approached them with a tray of lemonade in glasses. Dick took one.

"I'm going to go hang back here a while," Tim mumbled, taking a glass of lemonade. "Damian and I haven't been getting along… worse than usual."

Dick took another glass of lemonade for Damian and went up the stairs. "Damian?" he called and then went into the boy's room. Damian sat cross-legged at his desk and quickly flipped his sketchbook closed as Dick entered. Alfred the cat was draped over his shoulders, and Titus lay wound around his chair, asleep.

"Don't you knock, Richard?" he demanded. Dick smiled and set the glass of lemonade on his desk.

"How've you been, Damian?" Dick asked, leaning against the wall after closing the door behind him.

"I'm fine," he snapped. "I believe the family consensus is that _you_ are the one to be worried about." Dick smirked and then walked to his bed, dropping his empty lemonade glass on the bedside table and flopping down on the covers.

"Is that so?" Dick mused, staring at the ceiling.

"Yes, and given your track record with heartbreak, I am inclined to agree." Damian pulled his cat into his arms. Dick smiled to himself.

"I'll be fine, Damian, thanks for asking." He mumbled and put his arms behind his head.

"I didn't ask," Damian commented drily.

"I know you didn't. I'm telling you, though, I'll be okay." Dick smiled, closing his eyes. _Okay._

"Of course you will. It would be shameful to all Nightwing has accomplished if this is what broke you." Damian scratched behind Alfred's ears as the cat purred. Dick couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud.

"It would, wouldnt it?" he snorted. It all almost seemed silly, now. "But you've never been in love, Damian. Don't be so harsh a judge."

"No I haven't," he said with distaste, "but there are plenty of prisoners in Arkham if I wish to suffer through it."

"Damn, kid," Dick frowned. "That's a little harsh. What about the girl you've been texting, hmm? What about her?"

"I can assure you it is nothing romantic." Damian refrained from rolling his eyes. "And who said I am texting a girl?"

"You just did. Tim told me, after he hacked your phone, but you just confirmed it. Just because I don't see you for a month doesn't mean I don't keep in touch with at least one of you." Dick smiled, sitting up and looking at Damian.

"Tim did what?" Damian demanded, eye narrowing.

"Told me you're texting a girl. So who is she?" Dick smiled.

"He hacked my phone?" Damian hissed. "He is dead."

"Don't," Dick warned. "As long as I'm here, I'll knock you both around until you stop fighting. Have you guys heard from Jason? I haven't…"

"Not really." Damian shrugged. "But I get the impression that while you may be currently down in romance, he is quite the opposite." Damian smiled wickedly. "Or at least he is trying."

Dick's lip twitched and he looked at Damian curiously. "Oh? What have we found out?"

"While I may not agree with the apparent fascination around here with the darker scum life type of women, he could do worse than Poison Ivy I suppose." Damian glanced down at the cat stretched out in his arms. Dick whistled slowly.

"That's a bad idea. I mean can he even touch her? Isn't she poisonous? How would they…" Dick shook his head vigorously. "Never mind. Damian, do you know what's going on down there? Why did Bruce say we couldn't be in there?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. Why should I care?" Damian asked, bored. Dick smiled.

"Come on, lets go find out," he got up from the bed.

"Do you want to anger Father on your first visit in a month?"

"It's been a month since he was angry at me. Seems like too long. Now come on. Whoever gets caught buys the other one lunch." Dick grinned, tugging Damian out of his chair as the cat slid out of his arms.

"Why do you insist on making bets you'll lose?" Damian smirked.

"Because it's been a while since I had lunch with my brother," Dick elbowed him, and they walked out into the hallway toward the grand staircase. The east doors of the parlor lay just to the right of the stairs, and the south doors were down another hallway. "Which door do you want?" he asked, glancing at Damian.

"South," he retorted, already walking away. Dick smiled and crept silently to the east doors, crouching at the keyhole and listening.

"...and you know I don't question you often," Clark was saying, "but are you sure Bruce?"

"Yes," Bruce's voice carried strongly through the door. "He may still be a little rough, but he has more than proved himself... what is it?"

"We have company," Clark said, sounding amused. Dick inhaled sharply and turned from the door, just as Bruce opened it.

"You know what Clark? Maybe you're right." Bruce glared down at him. "He still has a lot to learn."

"I- what!? What are you talking about?" Dick asked, taken aback. _You owe Damian lunch_.

"No, it's alright, Bruce. The boy is just curious." Clark replied. Bruce sighed.

"You may as well come in." He turned and left Dick standing there, returning to his spot by Selina. Dick slowly entered the room, sitting down in the armchair between the sofas. Selina smiled reassuringly at him, a hand on Bruce's leg. Clark wordlessly nodded at the opposite door, and Dick bit his lip. Bruce got up and opened the door just as Damian scrambled away down the hall. Closing it, Bruce once again sank onto the sofa beside Selina. The three of them looked at Dick.

"Why do I suddenly feel like a kid in the principal's office?" he asked, looking between them.

"Don't be ridiculous," Bruce snapped. Selina shot him a look. "I mean… Dick. I know that you've been through a lot recently," he cleared his throat, "and I know I haven't said it, but I'm proud with how you've handled everything."

Dick smiled, trying to remain calm and cool despite how giddy the praise made him feel. "Thank you, Bruce."

"I know you have been fighting to be seen as an equal for a long time now, and I'm sorry I haven't treated you that way," Bruce told him quietly. Selina put a hand on his shoulder and smiled up at him as Clark glanced between him and Dick.

"It's all right Bruce, I don't need an apology to forgive you for it," he smiled a little. "You're kinda just like that. After thirteen years, I've gotten used to it."

Bruce sighed. "Dick…" He paused. "I've talked to Wonder Woman and Superman. I think you're ready to join the League."

Dick straightened in his seat. "You- really? I thought I was too young. I thought I wasn't 'qualified' enough to meet League standards?" He looked at Bruce in shock.

"You're ready," Bruce said, sure. Dick sat back slowly.

"This is all I want. This is all I've ever wanted. Ever since I started the Teen Titans… I started that team because I wanted to be like you, Bruce. I wanted to be a leader. I didn't want to take orders anymore. And I…" Dick looked down as he trailed off, thinking of everything that had happened. Thinking of Her. "That's not what I want anymore. I'm here in your place, Bruce. The League needs you more, and when they need you, Gotham needs me."

"Dick, I…" Bruce was stunned. "Are you sure?" he finally asked.

"I'm sure," he agreed, nodding. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline."

"I can't say that I agree with your decision, but I will accept it," Bruce told him, meeting his eyes with a half smile. Dick nodded gratefully, running a hand through his hair and pushing his bangs back from his forehead.

"Thank you for the offer," he said, standing. Clark stood as he did and shook Dick's hand, nodding.

"You would have made a fine addition, Son, but you make your own decisions. I respect that."

Dick nodded a short thanks before leaving the room. Damian ran up to him in the hallway. "What was that about?"

Dick shrugged. "Just some stuff. They want me to join the Justice League." He grinned. Damian's nose scrunched up in disgust.

"You didn't-"

"-of course not," Dick smiled.

"Good. The Justice League is the biggest bunch of pretentious-"

"-I know," Dick cut Damian off again, putting an arm around his shoulder as he steered him toward the door. "I think the Batman family is a lot better, too. I owe you lunch."


	2. Housekeeping

_**It's been a while.**_

_**But Dick isn't the only one that's hurting. His whole family has taken a hit in the wake of Harley's death, if not directly. Through Dick, they have suffered. **_

_**In addition to that, Harley's best friend before death, Ivy, has had to live through the pain. Luckily, she's had a little help.**_

Tim returned Dick to his apartment after he and Damian had gone out to lunch. Without even considering taking a break, Dick got ready for patrol that night, eating a quick dinner of restaurant leftovers. As he dropped his dishes into the drying rack after washing them, Dick grabbed the radio on his shoulder. "Hey Will. You driving, or am I? We're on patrol, and I don't really feel like going in my own car…" he poured coffee into his beat up, blue travel mug.

"Sure," Will radioed back. "Do you want me to swing by and pick you up?"

"Yeah, why not?" Dick replied, walking out of his apartment. He stepped out of the building and leaned against the front step to wait for him. Will flashed the lights at him once as he pulled into the drive. Dick smiled as he slid into the passenger seat.

"Hey. How's the family?" he said, dropping his coffee mug in the cup holder. Will was really the only one that he'd stayed in touch with over the past month, and though he hated to admit it, Dick knew that if it hadn't been for their job forcing them together, he would have distanced himself from Will.

"Good," Will said, turning to back out. "Molly keeps asking why you never stop by."

"Been busy," Dick laughed a bit, taking his hat off and running a hand through his hair. "It would be nice to see them."

"You know you're always welcome." Will glanced over at him.

"I know. I just haven't been very… Well I'm sorry for being distanced lately." He confessed.

"You have every right to be," Will amended. "This has got to be hard for you, and in case you forgot, I liked her too." Will grinned. Dick laughed softly and looked down.

"Yeah, I know. She was… I miss her." He sighed and bit his lip.

"I can only imagine," Will whispered. "And it's because of her that my family doesn't have to. I never got to thank her."

"Well you could come with me. I go and see her almost every night. When we're off-duty, I could take you there." He smiled a little. Will shook his head slightly.

"I don't want to intrude on you like that," he said. "I will go visit the grave though. Maybe I'll take Lilly with me," he mused. "She remembers her."

"I'm glad. I'd love to see you all again." Dick smiled as they pulled up to the station and got out to go clock-in.

"Hey Phillips!" Will called out to an officer Dick didn't recognize. Dick raised an eyebrow.

"Have I been gone that long?" he muttered as he punched in their time cards.

"No, you just never talk to anyone," Will laughed. Dick shrugged.

"This is true."

Will clapped him on the shoulder as he chuckled. "Come on."

They left the station again and got into the car, pulling out of the parking lot. Dick glanced at his partner. "So how are you holding up? I mean after…" he trailed off, biting his lip.

"Physically, I'm better than I thought I'd be," Will admitted. "But emotionally… I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have Molly." He stared out the windshield. "I think the hardest part was me not knowing how it would affect her and Lilly."

"I know the feeling. And the nightmares?" Dick asked, taking a drink of his coffee.

"They're still there." Will glanced at him. "Does it get any easier?"

"With a lot of time. But it never really goes away," he sighed, looking out at the streets of Gotham sliding by, lost in thought. Dick seemed so detached. Despite his smiling, Will wasn't entirely sure that he was coping well with Her death. As he was about to ask about it, the police radio crackled to life.

"Collins, Grayson. There's a disturbance in the East End of Gotham. The address is 903 Tennant Street. You got that?" Gordon asked them. Dick picked up the mic.

"Yeah, roger that, Commissioner. We're close by. We'll check it out."

"Good. Take care of it for me, boys."

"Yes, Sir."

Will turned around to head back toward the address. Dick put the mic back.

"Hopefully this is interesting," Will mumbled.

"Do you think these windows let in enough light?" Jason asked, pondering the big bay windows reflecting the moon.

"I don't see why it matters," Ivy muttered.

"I think these windows are definitely better than the ones in the last place," Jason ignored her attitude. "But it's just so much farther away from everything."

"Then why are you even considering it?" Ivy asked.

"Are you even going to input your opinion?" Jason demanded, turning to face her. He switched his Red Hood helmet to under his other arm.

"I don't even know why you're apartment hunting," she complained.

"Because I'm not living with Bruce, I need a place to sleep, and your place sucks, it's a maintenance room."

"Why does my place have anything to do with this? Why did you even drag me along?" Jason turned back to face the windows.

"You know what, I bet these let in great light for growing plants," he decided.

"Okay, are you implying-"

A knock at the door cut her off midsentence. "GCPD. Anybody home?" A familiar voice called.

"Housekeeping?" Jason called back in a fake Spanish accent. There was a pause.

"Jason!?" He walked over by the door.

"No it is Consuela," he said.

"Open the door, you moron."

"Misser Jason no es here," he said as he opened the door. Dick stared at him, unamused.

"We got a call about a disturbance. What the _hell_ are you doing?" he asked, his police hat pulled low over his hair.

"Breaking into an apartment. What does it look like I'm doing?" Jason left the door open as he walked back over to the windows. Dick stepped in, and Will followed.

"That's a little low key for you. Both of you," he said, glancing at Ivy. He pursed his lips, but said nothing.

"I'm a wanted criminal. I can't just walk up to a realtor and ask to look at places." He smirked at Dick. "So I thought I'd just get a sneak peek." Ivy rolled her eyes.

"How _exactly_ do you plan to buy it then?" Will asked, with mild interest. Dick glanced at him.

"Don't encourage him!" he protested.

"I'll figure something out." Jason shrugged it out.

"The moron didn't plan this well," Ivy told Dick.

"But you think that's adorable," Jason smirked. Dick narrowed his eyes.

"Wait, why is _she _house hunting with you?" he asked, glancing between them.

"Do you want to join?" Jason asked. "I didn't think you needed to be invited along or anything."

"No," Dick crossed his arms. "Are you two looking to live together?" Ivy looked like she was waiting for the answer just as much as he was.

"Well I don't even have a place for me to live in. Baby steps big bro." Jason clapped him on the shoulder. "And who are you?" He looked at Will.

"Sorry, Jason, this is my partner, Will Collins. Will this is Jason, my brother-"

"-the Red Hood. I think I'm catching on," he said slowly, shaking his head. Dick bit his lip.

"Yeah…" he glanced at Ivy. "What are you hanging around with this Walker for?" he asked, jerking a thumb at Jason.

"I have yet to figure that out," Ivy mumbled, not meeting his eyes.

"We've just been spending a lot of time together," Jason added, suddenly self conscious. "Because of-" he cut himself off. "Just because."

Narrowing his eyes, Dick put his hands in his pockets. "Because of what, Jay?"

"Because of Harley," Jason said in a rush. He glanced at Ivy. "You weren't the only one who lost her."

His hands came out of his pockets and fell to his sides. "What do you mean?" he breathed. The sound of her name had cut to his heart like a knife. Will glanced between the three of them, and grabbed his walkie talkie as he backed quietly out of the room.

"He means," Ivy hissed, "that even though I couldn't stop her from getting herself killed, it still hurts."

"You… you and her? You were her friend, weren't you?" Dick said quietly, looking down at the floor. "I'm so sorry."

"I tried to talk her out of it. We both knew the Joker would kill her if she betrayed him." Ivy closed her eyes. "I'm sorry too. I saw how much you two meant to each other. Even when she was pretending otherwise." Dick closed his eyes, not sure what else to say. He breathed deeply.

"I know. Can we…" he cleared his throat, looking for any subject change.

"Can we focus on the real matter at hand?" Jason asked, changing the subject for him. "Me getting a place."

"Yeah. Um, _why_, exactly? I mean, what's the real reason?" Dick asked, looking at him in confusion.

"If you don't want me around Gotham, I don't have to get one," Jason defended. "But if I'm going to be looking after your mopey ass, I need a place to crash."

"You're not- I'm not _mopey_," Dick frowned irritably as Will came back into the room.

"Called in the all-clear with the captain, and he kicked it up to Gordon. We're good here, as long as these two stop 'house hunting'," he said. Dick smiled and nodded.

"You cops ruin all of the fun," Jason complained.

"Sorry, Jay. But you know what happens if you get arrested." Dick opened the door for them.

"Yeah I get to break out, and that's just a hassle."

"You're not getting arrested," Ivy told him.

"Fine. I think I picked the place out anyway," Jason muttered. Dick narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. "Ready to go?" he asked Ivy. She sauntered out of the room. "Isn't she something?" he asked Dick. He clapped him on on the shoulder. "See you around." He left Dick standing there.

After a long pause, Will spoke up. "Let's head back out on patrol." Dick reluctantly followed him from the room.

"Boy Wonder." Dick reflexively turned at the name. Ivy walked up to him; Jason was waiting a little ways down the hall, and Will continued the other way a bit, stopping to wait for Dick. "I know you don't want to talk about… her," Ivy said, ignoring his expression. "I just thought you should know, she never stopped loving you. Everything she did, admitting herself into Arkham, pretending to go back to the Joker, trying to convince you she didn't love you so that you wouldn't be hurt by- by her- leaving," she cleared her throat, "was for you. She didn't think she was good enough, she thought she had to right her past wrongs. Even though I've never been particularly… fond of your side of the law, you were the best thing that happened to her. Even when I found her, broken and heartbroken, thinking you despised her, she became better because of you. I may not have agreed with her decision to give up living above the law," a wicked smile graced her lips, "but I did agree with her deciding to move on from her poisonous life. She made her decision long before I decided to help her, and I couldn't talk her out of it. There was nothing I- or even you could have done to stop her. She wanted to finally do the right thing. Just remember that," Ivy told him gently. She walked back to where Jason was waiting, leaving Dick standing alone. He blinked, a bit stunned.


	3. I Promise

_**Distance is the key.**_

_**Awake, Dick can at least control his emotions. His rage, his fear, his heartbreak. But sleep is where he is most vulnerable. To those feelings, and to her. It's why he refuses to do it. **_

_**Harley hasn't left him, not really. He's haunted by her memory, and the things he should have said and done when she was still alive. At least in sleep, he can still her. Even if his dreams are nightmares...**_

_Dick gasped and opened his eyes quickly. All he could see was stars. Not figuratively, there were _stars_. Blurred together in the midnight heavens like shimmering oil spots on a dark ocean. A hand on his chest calmed his breathing and pulled him back down against the blanket._

"_Did you fall asleep?" Harley asked quietly, her head on his shoulder. Dick blinked slowly in the dark._

"_I dozed for a minute, I think…" He rubbed his eyes tiredly and pinched the bridge of his nose, her rosy scent surrounding him. "...where are we?" Harley rolled her eyes and smiled._

"_We're still on the boat," she told him, kissing his shoulder. _

"_On the…" he sat up and looked around at the expanse of water stretching on all sides of them, glittering in the moonlight. Harley leaned back, her blue eyes worried. Dick looked at Harley and then shook his head in confusion. "This doesn't make sense, I should be…" He ran a hand over her bare side, feeling for a scar or a cut in her stomach. None was there. He looked down at his own waist, and no scar was out of the ordinary._

"_What's wrong?" she asked, bringing a hand up to stroke his jaw. She leaned in and kissed his ear. Dick closed his eyes, inhaling sharply, and then grabbed her hand. He noticed the string still tied around her finger. _

"_The Joker, I was- I shouldn't be here. You…" He touched her face, his pale eyes pained. "No. But you're _here_. We're here."_

"_Yes we're here," she chuckled softly. The hand not twined through his she placed on the back of his neck, ruffling her fingers through the bottom of his hair. "Where else would we be?" _

"_That couldn't have been a dream," he mumbled, his heart pounding. "No. You're…" Even in dreaming, or fully awake, whatever this was; Dick couldn't bring himself to say _dead_. "No you're Harley. _My _Harley._ This can't _be real, can it? The Joker killed you, I had to live without you- a _month _without you-" he shook his head, pinching his eyes closed._

"_Dick?" she whispered, leaning away. Her brow knit together in concern. "What are you talking about?"_

"_You. _You _are Harley Quinn. Right? What… right?!" He looked at her earnestly, his hand stroking her cheek. She sucked in a breath and recoiled from him._

"_How… how did you know?" she stammered, eyes wide and brimming with tears. Dick stroked her hair and kissed her passionately, holding her close. She broke the kiss off and put her forehead against his. "Please don't hate me," she begged. _

"_I love you," he choked, brushing his lips against hers. _

"_I love you too," she breathed, kissing him gently, one hand on his cheek while the other was wrapped around his back to hold his body close. Dick closed his eyes, deepening the kiss. He broke it off with a moan, looking at her. Harley kept her eyes closed. "But our love can't save me," she whispered. Dick leaned in kissed her once more as he inhaled, taking in her sweet scent. He was reluctant to even pull away, his lips locked fervently with hers. _

_When his mouth finally fell away from hers, their surroundings seemed to pull back into focus; the crowded circus tent was noisy and lit by the strands of bulbs encircling the outside. The smell of popcorn and light cotton candy, mixed with the faint scent of animals and straw filled the air with the noise of the band playing, rising up into the sweeping canopy of the red and white tent. Dick looked around for a moment, in a daze at the noise and excitement around them, Harley's hand still on his shoulder, his arm around her. He shook the pain out of his head. _

"_Harley…" his words drifted off as a raucous laugh rose from the audience, and he glanced to the center of the ring where several clowns were performing. He turned back to her. "I can save you."_

"_Dick," she sighed, her thumb tracing his mask. "I always knew how it would end." Her eyes shone bright and sad within her mask. "There was nothing you could do."_

"_I don't believe that. There's always a way. I just miscalculated. Something went wrong. I can't go back." He looked down, closing his eyes tight. Her gloved hand trailing along the blue stripe across his chest. She shook her head, her lower lip trembling._

"_I am so sorry I hurt you." _

"_I can heal. The wounds you dealt, I can _heal _from. I'll never get you back now," he whispered, pained. The audience around them laughed joyously, oblivious to the couple; the carnival music played to the crowd of ghosts as they watched the clowns in the center ring._

"_Can your heart heal?" she asked, her eyes pleading. "Can your heart ever heal from what I did to you?" _

"_Well you see," he smiled, pressing his forehead against hers. "I know this really great doctor. She worked at Arkham. I think she can help me get back on my feet," Dick laughed quietly. Harley half smiled._

"_If we're thinking of the same doctor here," she mused, "then I don't know. She was broken and couldn't even save herself." _

_Dick looked her earnestly in the eyes. "If I save you, will you save me?" _

_She pursed her lips."But you can't save me. It's too late." _

_He bit his lip and looked down. "Then I guess we both failed," Dick whispered, and closed his eyes. She sighed, tracing his lips with her thumb._

"_We were always going to fail. It was the only way it could end." _

"_Don't say that. You're saying that it was stupid to hope in the first place. Hope is all I have, Harley. After all these years of fighting, of seeing things that no one my age should have ever seen, hope is all I had." Dick whispered. A cackling laugh arose from the center ring, but Harley either ignored it or hadn't heard it._

"_And I love that about you," she told him, smiling weakly. "But we were falling with only one parachute. Only one of us could make it." _

"_I could have caught you," he choked, his voice a hoarse cry of desperation. She laughed a little as she shook her head._

"_But you would have stopped me while I was flying," she scolded. _

"_And you would be alive!" he cried, taking her face in his hands. He gasped when blood smeared on her face and he looked at her side, where his hand had been. Blood stained her uniform darker crimson._

"_I'm sorry," she said, ignoring the blood. "I know you tried." _

_His dark hair fell over his face as he looked down. Harley grabbed both sides of his face and pulled his lips over to hers. Dick closed his eyes, falling into the familiarity. Her hands pulled at his hair as she stood on tiptoe to grind her lips earnestly on his. His hands grabbed her belt, wrenching her closer, as she gently bit his bottom lip. Dick moaned softly and shoved her against her bedroom wall, kissing her hungrily as he held her against him by her hips. Her hands tightened in his hair, and Dick lifted her off of the floor, her legs wrapping around his waist. _

"_Harley-" he stuttered, falling away from her lips for a moment before kissing her again. The room was dark, their contrasting costumes and flushed faces only illuminated by the moonlight through the window. His lips left her mouth, and she moaned as he kissed down her jaw to her neck then her collarbone. Her legs tightened around his waist as she arched her back, her breathing hitched. Harley yanked the escrima sticks out of their holsters on his back, and they clattered to the ground as his gloved hands gripped her hips tighter, his lips pressing to her heart pounding in her chest. _

"_I love you," she sighed, pulling his lips back up to hers. One of her hands started unzipping his suit as the other trailed over his chest. She was unaffected as her back hit the wall and his hands ran up her thighs. _

"_I love you too," he grinned, his hands yanking her belt out of the loops. He pulled her back and they fell onto the bed. Harley kneeled above him, pulling his suit over his shoulders. She sat on his hips as she leaned forward to kiss his chest. He tore at the front of her corset as he closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and bit his lip. Harley's lips stopped, and they were back on his mouth, tugging his bottom lip away from his teeth. _

_Another moan escaped Dick's lips as he pulled her corset away from her chest, tossing it on the floor as his hands traced over the newly exposed skin on her waist; her blood poured from the knife wound in her side and spilled over his hands. The cold floor of the Arkham cell was wet with the rain coming through the cracked roof as Harley shuddered at his touch. Thunder tore across the sky above them as Dick hooked his thumbs in her belt loops, his tongue tied with hers. A gunshot suddenly exploded by his head, and they both cried out, scrambling away. Dick shielded Harley from the rain and from their attacker._

_The Joker laughed maliciously, the barrel of his gun still smoking. Dick's eyes narrowed behind his mask, and Harley cried out beside him, her hand clutching her side, as if she could suddenly feel the stab wound again._

"_I never thought I'd see the day," Joker whispered. "Young people. What is the world coming to? Well I've got some poison on me, bird boy. Didn't Juliet stab herself in the play? Do us both a favor and finish it out, Romeo."_

_Dick looked down, horrified, at the silver dagger protruding from Harley's stomach. He supported her head with his bare shoulder and his jaw tightened furiously as he gripped the hilt._

"_Dick stop," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. He ignored her. "Dick!" she said more firmly, reaching one hand to weakly cup his face. _

"_No," he hissed, his hand trembling. "Not this time. I promise."_

"_Don't make another promise I won't let you keep," she told him sternly, her voice weak. _

_Dick's breathing quickened, his jaw clenched. "I may not be able to save you-" he slowly pulled the dagger out of her stomach- "but I can _avenge _you," he hissed, putting her gently on the ground and whirling on the Joker, his face twisted in fury behind his mask. Without a word, Dick lunged at him. The Joker dodged, cackling, but Dick was faster. _

_He stepped back, the lightning flashing in the windows illuminating the hilt of the dagger in the Joker's chest. He stared at Dick for a moment before laughing breathily, wheezing; he fell against him and looked up at Dick's face. Joker's laughter continued as he dropped to the floor, his vacant eyes staring at Harley between Dick's boots. The grin on his face didn't waver, even in death._

_Dick returned to Harley and lifted her into a sitting position, kissing her gently. She took a hand away from her bloodied side and rested it on his chest, but it weakly slid down again. He caught it._

"_You… you shouldn't," she strained. "Don't kill for me… I'm not worth it." _

"_Stop saying that," he said forcefully, stroking her cheek. A red stripe was smeared across his chest where her hand had streaked her blood across it. "You're worth it to me. You're worth killing for, and you're worth dying for." Her eyes turned hard._

"_You will do neither of those things," she scolded before coughing violently. "Promise me." _

"_I promise," he said quietly, stroking her cheek gently. His heart nearly stopped as someone grabbed his shoulder and threw him to the floor, violently. The Joker laughed uncontrollably, lightning flashing over his psychotic features as he grinned broadly and plunged the knife into Dick's chest._

Dick screamed and sat bolt upright in bed, thunder crashing outside. His chest heaved as he looked around the room in terror, scrambling backward against the headboard. His eyes couldn't focus in the dark. He shuddered, trying to control his breathing, and he ran a hand through his hair, pulling it away from where it stuck to his forehead, drenched in sweat. Mopping an arm over his face, Dick frantically turned his bedside lamp on, scanning the room. No one. It was completely empty.

"Oh, _God_," Dick breathed, dropping his face into his hands. His head was throbbing. "What the hell just happened?" he pondered aloud. _I knew I shouldn't have slept. I should have gone on patrol today, instead of letting myself sleep._

Dick threw the covers away from himself and shuffled into the bathroom, turning the cold tap on high and stepping into the shower. He closed his eyes. Seeing Her again… The dream had been so real. Dick touched his lips. He could still feel her kiss. He let the cold water run over his sore muscles and wounds as he leaned against the wall, his arms above his head. Dick shuddered again, and when he got out of the shower he glanced at his phone. No calls from Bruce. Not even a text from Damian. Dick had stayed home all day to sleep and he'd apparently slept a bit too far; the darkness of midnight hung heavy over Gotham. Dick pulled on his Nightwing uniform.

Just because she hadn't been real, didn't mean he wasn't going to keep his word.

"I'm not going to kill for you," he whispered to himself as he leapt out of his bedroom window. "And I'm not going to die. For _you_." The escrima stick in his hand fired the grappling hook from the end and tugged him up to the top of a building, the whole of Gotham spread out before him.


	4. You're Your Own Hero

_**Nightwing has been distant.**_

_**But he hasn't been sad. His heartache and depression are nearly nonexistent when he works, so work is what he does. The Gotham night calms his mind and his heart. When he's out doing his job as Nightwing, he has little else to focus on, and it's an escape. He doesn't have the pain to run from, and he doesn't have the anger to fuel his actions.**_

_**He can just be himself. Having rejected Superman and Batman's proposition of a spot in the Justice League, Nightwing is even more at peace. When he was young, it was all he wanted. Now? His stance in Gotham has changed. He can't leave his city, he can't leave his brothers, and he can't leave her memory. **_

Gotham itself was alive. Nightwing looked around the civilization of crystalline glass and metal below him, reflecting the blue and gold city lights in their one-way windows, and he breathed in the heavy air. It hadn't been long since he'd been out patrolling the city, but it had felt like ages. Even now, the sounds of police sirens and car horns singing far below him, the perfume of smog and another coming rain stinging his nostrils, the lights glittering on the modern glass buildings; standing guard over Gotham felt like walking up the front steps to one's childhood home for the first time in ages. It was familiar, yet so foreign, and the sensation took Nightwing's breath away each night he stood above it all, just watching.

_The feeling would be complete if Batman were beside you_. Nightwing mused, one boot braced against the lip curling over the top of the building. The cold wind blew through his hair and he glanced down for a moment, and then looked at the stripe across his chest. He touched the blood red fabric lightly. He couldn't shake the dream, no matter how hard he tried. It had scared him. Some part of his subconscious, he didn't know how deep, wanted to murder the Joker.

_Well, don't you?_ he thought tiredly, rubbing his eyes. Nightwing shook his head, but he couldn't bring himself to a conclusion. Part of him wanted to cut that son of a bitch's heart out for everything he's done. Nightwing couldn't answer with yes, though, because that wasn't the real reason. He wished he could say that it was a righteous reason, for justice and to stop any further madness. But he _knew _why he wanted to kill the Joker. It was because that madman had taken Her away from him. Nightwing shook the horrible feeling and the horrible dream, stepping up onto the ledge. Eighty stories below him, the streets of Gotham wound through the glass and steel maze, trickling into the bridges leading away from Downtown Gotham.

Nightwing took a deep breath in, the breeze whistling through his lips, and he tipped forward. As his feet left the ledge and he began to plummet towards the earth, Nightwing laughed. The sound was snatched away by the wind roaring in his ears. Windows and floors and stories whipped past as he fell, his reflection blazing by in the crystal windows, the pavement coming up fast. Nightwing slid an escrima stick from its holster and took aim, firing the grappling hook at a narrow decorative ledge on the building across the street. The cording wrapped around a gargoyle's head and Nightwing swung around the corner, laughing again. He retracted the cording and landed on a lamppost, bracing himself on the metal so he didn't overshoot it and fall off. The pole swayed slightly with his weight.

A little boy holding his mother's hand as they waited for the light to change gasped when the pole beside him rattled. He looked up, shielding the flickering light from his eyes, and Nightwing smiled down at him. The boy tugged on his mother's hand and she looked up. Her hand flew to her mouth as she let out a stifled cry, and then relaxed.

"Nightwing," she breathed, and he smiled.

"What's he doing?" her son asked, as he stepped closer towards her, hiding in her coat. She didn't take her eyes off of the vigilante.

"Waiting for the light to change," Nightwing smiled again, and the boy giggled. His mother continued to stare.

"Thank you for what you're doing for Gotham. And tell Batman, too," she said quietly. "It's the people like you and him that make me feel safer walking home at night with my son."

"People who fear walking home at night with their children are the reason I do it, Ma'am," Nightwing replied, and the stoplight turned red. The woman and her son began walking, and Nightwing leapt gracefully onto the back of a Greyhound bus, flipping over the tops of vehicles until he reached the other side, and the boy watched Nightwing fire his grappling hook and disappear into the night.

Nightwing's feet landed lightly on the rooftop, and he flipped into a handstand, walking lazily along the rooftop's edge, lost in thought. His stomach growled, and he suddenly wondered when the last time he'd gotten food at the diner was. Dropping back to his feet again, Nightwing looked around. There was a tiny grocery store a couple of blocks away near a residential area. It took him less than five minutes to get there, cutting across rooftops.

The front doors pinged as he walked in. A lone cashier stood at the front, lazily reading a fiction novel. No other employees were in sight, to Nightwing's relief. He grabbed a box of granola bars and a bottle of iced coffee, tossing them down on the counter. The checker girl put her book down and glanced up, doing a double take. She stared at him, rooted to the spot.

"Hi." Nightwing smiled. The girl didn't move. She couldn't have been older than a college freshman, with long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and big blue-green eyes. He cleared his throat and she blinked slowly.

"Paper or plastic, sir?" she asked casually as she scanned the box of granola bars and the coffee.

"Neither, thanks. I'll just take them," Nightwing smiled again, digging around in his glove pocket for some cash. The cashier waited.

"Are you him, or are you some costume nerd?" she asked, and he laughed.

"No," Nightwing glanced at her nametag, "Carol, I'm him." Nightwing frowned a bit and squinted into a pocket as the front door busted open, pinging loudly. They turned to look at the man who'd just run in, carrying a duffel bag and a knife. Nightwing stared at him, and he made a short gurgling sound, stopping in his tracks. The man blinked slowly as Nightwing straightened his shoulders and cocked his head a bit.

"...g-gimme all your money…" the man stuttered. Nightwing glanced at Carol, and she shrugged. With a sigh, he walked towards the man, and pulled his coat away from his chest. The man cried out, trembling where he stood frozen in place, and Nightwing tugged out his wallet, glancing at his drivers license. Nightwing nodded and then put it back.

"Okay, Mr. Terrence Gregory Welsh, the fact that you brought your wallet to a robbery tells me that this is your first time doing something like this." Nightwing looked him in the eyes and plucked the knife out of his hand. "Poor choice of weapon, and you brought your ID. Mr. Welsh, I'm going to suggest that you go _home_ now. And if I catch you doing something like this again- or worse, if _Batman _catches you- there won't be as much forgiveness. Go home." Nightwing smiled curtly. The man whimpered and backed out the door, sprinting across the street and away from the store.

Returning to the register, Nightwing again searched his glove pockets for some cash. Carol watched him, an eyebrow raised.

"Hold on a second, I have some- somewhere-" he knelt to search the pockets lining the top of his boot, and the cashier laughed.

"Dude, just _take _it."

"But I don't want to be-" Nightwing started, and she cut him off.

"-seriously? No, I'm not letting you. Just get out of here." She smiled. Nightwing grabbed the box of granola bars and the coffee, thanked the cashier named Carol, and then left the building.

He sat on the rooftop of the grocery store, finishing off the last granola bar in the box and drinking the rest of his coffee. He'd wanted to make sure that the man didn't come back, though he didn't really think he would. As Nightwing watched Carol lock the store and drive out of the lot he stood, looking around the residential neighborhood, and then dropped off of the roof. He rolled to a safe stop, and then he threw away the box and recycled the bottle in the bins in front of the store.

A scream tore his attention to an alleyway beside the building and Nightwing raced around the corner, pulling a truncheon from it's holster.

"You'll make a good toy to pass the time," a man was saying, a cornered woman backed against the alley wall. Nightwing recognized her as the woman from the street before, her coat around her son to shield him. Their attacker chuckled. "And I've got a buddy for your son, too."

Nightwing's eyes narrowed in disgust, and he sheathed his escrima stick. He walked closer into the light, planting his hands on his hips. "You know, I'm beginning to wonder if the list of hobbies that you're outlining has 'getting your teeth kicked in' as one of the top ones." He threw a wingding at the man's hand, and the knife he held skittered to the ground as he cried out.

The man whirled in surprise and shock, and then grinned. "We've been waiting on you," he called, and Nightwing tensed.

_We._ He barely had time to think before two men had grabbed his arms from behind, yanking him back and throwing him against the wall. They held both of his arms out from his sides as hard as they could, pressing him to the cold brick. The woman screamed.

"You're the one we were looking for," the first slowly picked up his knife and walked towards him, twirling it lazily in his hand. Nightwing smiled.

"Me? Over Batman? Gee, guys, I'm flattered." He didn't try to pull his arms away, but the men still held fast. Their leader grabbed Nightwing's face, holding up his knife. He grinned wickedly.

"All we need is a body," he hissed. Nightwing winced as the brick dug into his hands pressed to the wall. There was a furious cry as the man holding Nightwing's left arm took a face full of purse, and the woman grabbed her son, backing away. The man released his grip on Nightwing's arm just enough for him to wrench it away and he pulled it up, elbowing him forcefully in the back of the head. The man cried out and crumpled to the ground as the leader punched Nightwing in the stomach. Tightening his abs as the blow hit, Nightwing straightened and fired a left hook straight at the man's nose, feeling it break under his fist. The third man still held his arm, and he twisted it back. Nightwing cried out, kicking the man's knee to the side. The leader rushed at him again, blood pouring from his nose, but Nightwing leapt over him and used the man's momentum to shove him face first into the brick. He screamed and dropped to the ground, clutching his bleeding face in his hands while the two others groaned on the pavement beside him.

The woman ran to Nightwing and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you!" she cried. Nightwing laughed breathlessly.

"Me? I should be thanking you. It takes courage to stand up and fight like that," he smiled. The woman blushed, holding her son's hand. The boy stared up at him in wonder, and Nightwing smiled. "It's my pleasure to help, Ma'am. Now you get home safe, alright?"

"Thank you," she said again, and Nightwing fired a grappling hook to the roof. He looked back down to the alleyway where the boy stopped his mother and ran back to pick up the wingding that Nightwing had disarmed the man with. His mother smiled and then led him from the alleyway.

Instead of leave to continue his patrol, Nightwing walked along rooftops, following the woman and her son until they reached a ramshackle house in a rundown neighborhood. He wanted to make absolutely certain that they made it home. As he put a boot up on the ledge of the building where he was perched, Nightwing tensed. A cape flapped in the breeze behind him and he smirked.

"I heard you coming, old man, You're not as stealthy as you think anymore. Did you bring Robin with you or did you leave him at home again? He's getting really piss-" Nightwing turned to see Superman hovering just above the shingles behind him. His smile vanished. "Sorry. I thought you were-"

"-Batman, yes," Superman smiled. "Hello, Nightwing."

"Hey," Nightwing smiled, stepping closer as Superman's boots touched down on the roof gently. He shook Nightwing's hand.

"I was in the neighborhood, and I wanted to stop by," Superman said. He stood a clean six inches taller than Nightwing, and he looked down at him with a smile on his face. Nightwing suddenly laughed and hugged him.

"I've missed you," Nightwing laughed. "What brings you to Gotham?"

"I was tailing some of Lex Luthor's men. It looked like a dead end, so I thought I'd come find you." Superman rested his hands on his shoulders. "You look better than ever, Grayson. And you rejected my proposal. I vouched for you." Superman said, stepping back and looking at him earnestly. Nightwing nodded and looked down.

"You want me in the Justice League," he sighed.

"I was surprised you didn't instantly jump at the offer, actually. When you and I trained together, it was all you wanted. You did everything short of beg me to be accepted in," Superman chuckled, and Nightwing smiled, looking out over the city. The dark residential streets lit only with the soft glow of the orange street lamps were dwarfed by the shining glass metropolis just beyond it.

"My place is here, Superman," he said, turning back to him. Superman smiled, his blue eyes warm.

"You sound like him," he said, laughing a bit. His scarlet cape rustled around his ankles.

"Oh God, don't tell me _that_," Nightwing smiled. Superman sighed.

"I know you hate being compared to him, Dick," he said gently. "Your fa- Batman- is a great man. You should be proud that you picked up his good qualities. I know he is." Nightwing looked down. "Do you mind me asking what's holding you here? Holding you back? For the longest time, you wanted to get _away_ from Gotham. Whether that meant the Titans, the League, Bludhaven..."

"I'm not entirely sure. In this past month, Batman has been more and more active with the Justice League. Red Robin has a responsibility with the Titans, and Red Hood can't help himself, let alone the innocent people of this city. I'm afraid if I follow Batman to the Justice League, there will be no one left in Gotham." Nightwing replied. Superman nodded slowly.

"Gotham has Batgirl. There are other heroes that could take your place here," he pointed out. Nightwing shook his head.

"They look to _me _as a leader when Batman is away. Even those as distant as Cass and Steph- to them, I'm the right hand of the Batcave. I have to be there to protect them."

"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't about them," Superman crossed his arms, looking at Nightwing knowingly. "The boy?"

"I can't leave him alone. Not without Batman," Nightwing said quietly. "He's difficult. Even though there are a lot of us around him to support him, he doesn't see it that way. Batman is his only ally, in his mind."

"And you," Superman said.

"And me." Nightwing agreed. "Batman and I are the only two people he trusts to fight alongside him, and I can't leave him alone. If Batman has to be with the Justice League, I have to be _here._ With Gotham and with Robin."

Superman nodded slowly and then smiled, resting a hand on Nightwing's shoulder. "I'm proud of you. And I've said it already, but I'll say it again: so is he. It'll be a shame not to have you in the League. If you change your mind, let me know." He drifted away from the roof a bit. "And Nightwing," he added. Nightwing looked up. "I'm sorry. Batman and I discussed this without you present, and we shouldn't have. You are old enough to make your own decisions. You're your own hero."

"Thank you, Sir." Nightwing smiled, and Superman turned, gliding off into the night. Nightwing watched him disappear and bit his lip. "Damn I wish I could fly," he mused, and then set off back into the Gotham night.


	5. What Are We Waiting For?

_**Everything seems to be right.**_

_**But that's not truly right in Gotham. The calm isn't a quietude, it's a prelude. And the Joker waits just around the corner. Meanwhile, an undertaking has begun in Gotham. The city's lowlifes have been going missing, turning up dead or worse.**_

_**Jason goes for help in an unlikely place, having noticed the disturbance in the city. On the other side of the coin, Dick finds solace in an equally unlikely person in the wake of the Joker's attacks directed at him.**_

"Hey."

No answer.

"_Hey_."

Still no response. Will finally threw a pen at him.

"Dick! Dude wake up!"

"What the-" Dick jumped and his head snapped up as the pen fell into his lap. He picked it up and threw it full force at Will, who dodged it and laughed. Dick groaned and rubbed his face, dropping his elbows onto his desk. "What time is it?!"

"It's almost six. You've been ignoring me and dozing off all day."

"What was I doing when I wasn't ignoring you?"

"Complaining, mostly," Will confessed with a smile. Dick groaned and his head slid through his hands, smacking on the desk. "It's okay. From what I listened to, they were legitimate complaints."

"Yeah, well. I've got a lot on my… mind…" he picked his face up from his desk and trailed off as his eyes followed Commissioner Gordon toward their desks.

"Grayson, Collins; there's been a murder on Smith street. I'm sending you two over before anyone else gets there." Gordon looked between them both.

"Sure thing," Will said, snatching his keys off his desk and standing. Dick dragged himself out of his chair. "Where are we going?"

"The diner," Gordon replied sadly.

"The…?" Will turned to look at Dick, his eyes wide. Dick's jaw was clenched tight, and he shook his head.

"The woman there now was near frantic- said it looks like another Joker killing." Gordon stated. "Get on it, and get it fixed quickly. Forensics is on their way as well."

"On it," Will said, already walking away. Dick followed as they hurried to the squad car. "Shit," Will muttered to himself, and he flicked on the police lights, and they sped out of the parking lot. Dick didn't say anything as he stared out the window, stone faced, his chin resting on his hand. Will slammed to a stop outside the familiar diner. The doors were open, and caution tape blocked off the sidewalk. They were the second squad car on the scene.

"I don't see why Gordon would send _us _on this, knowing we were regulars," Dick snapped as they got out of the car, his fatigue getting the better of him and anger welling in his chest. Their boots padded on the pavement as they walked to the door. The little bell above it tinkled and Dick glanced up at it. "We shouldn't even _be_ here, he knew-"

"-Jesus Christ-" Will's arm shot out to stop him and Dick finally looked up. Will turned away immediately, knocking into Dick as he made his way back to the door, but Dick couldn't tear his eyes away.

A man dressed in a policeman's costume was slumped at the counter, sitting on a stool. His head was held up by the noose around his neck, but it was only there to hold him in a sitting position. One dead arm was lying on the counter with a hand beside an overfilled coffee cup, and coffee covered the counter and dripped onto the floor. Courtney, the waitress, was suspended by ropes dangling from the ceiling, making her look like a gruesome marionette puppet, the empty coffee pot duct-taped to her hand and suspended over the man's coffee mug. Dick closed his eyes and looked away, controlling his breathing. Courtney and the man dressed as a police officer both wore grotesque, unnatural smiles plastered across their vacant faces, but the Joker's laughing gas couldn't change everything about their features. He could still see the terror in their eyes. Dick looked at the one other officer in the empty diner, standing in the corner and trying not to look at the two people posed like dollhouse toys at the counter. He wordlessly turned away and walked out of the door to Will, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Dick asked.

"Yeah," Will muttered, not meeting Dick's eye. "Just give me a minute."

Dick's hand tightened on his shoulder. "It'll pass. Breathe. You don't have to go back in," he said quietly.

"Maybe I'll talk to the woman who found them." Will cleared his throat. "See if she has any information."

"Good," Dick nodded. "Will can I leave you here? Are you good? The other officers can handle this, I don't care if Gordon gets pissed. You can get a ride with one of the other officers." Will stared at him for a second.

"Yeah. Go ahead." Will left him to go talk to the other officer on scene. Dick's jaw clenched as he got into the squad car and sped away. He pulled his hat off, and then began unbuttoning his shirt. His Nightwing uniform was underneath; he hadn't even bothered to go home after last night, he'd gone straight to work. He slipped his mask over his eyes and turned back onto the GCPD lot, parking, and slipping out of the car. He fired his grappling hook to the roof, and set off at a dead run towards the only place he _knew _that the Joker had been. He could feel the fury welling in his chest.

_If the Joker wants me so damn bad, fine. He's got my attention._ Nightwing leapt over an alleyway and cleared it by nearly two feet, his boots pounding along the rooftop. The burning orange of the sunset glittered on the water surrounding the city, and on the windows of the buildings around him. Nightwing fired his grappling hook to a higher roof, flipping onto the ledge and continuing along the path toward the Joker's last known hideout.

When he landed on the roof of the building, Nightwing didn't even stop to catch his breath. He leapt off of the roof, catching the sill of a second story window and throwing himself feet first through the glass. It shattered, and his boots slammed on the hardwood of the room. The building was deserted, a mansion in what used to be the well-off neighborhood of Gotham, now a graffitied and crumbling ghost of the city's long-forgotten past. He kicked the door into the hallway and walked out, looking down it in both directions. Nightwing walked slowly towards the room that he'd fought Her in, a month ago. It seemed like so long now. He bit down on his lip and closed the door, going to the center staircase of the massive house.

"Well this is a treat," a voice said behind him. Nightwing glanced over his shoulder and smiled. He looked slowly around the room, where men in Joker masks stepped out of the shadows.

"I know," Nightwing replied. "Usually I have to come looking for you. You seem to be finding _me _these days," he drew both escrima sticks slowly. The clown masked goon chuckled.

"Joker told us that you'd be pissed when he murdered your diner chick. Said you'd come here." His voice was muffled by the rubber mask over his face. Nightwing grinned darkly, his face shadowed as he stood, ready for their move.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Nightwing hissed angrily, looking around. Ten men. Armed with various pick-up weapons; crowbars, baseball bats, one taser, two pistols, and a knife. He leaned forward slightly onto his toes, raising his truncheons.

All ten Joker goons rushed him at once.

* * *

><p>"What the hell are you doing?" Jason demanded, storming into Ivy's place. The door swung shut behind him.<p>

"Could you knock?" She snapped.

"No! Not until you- oh." Jason blushed. Ivy was clutching a green towel to herself a few shades darker than her skin. He cleared his throat and pointedly turned around. "What the hell have you been up to Ivy?" he asked again, trying to cover up the awkward moment.

"Well, I _was_ taking a shower," she retorted. Jason glared at the wall.

"That's not what I mean." Ivy rolled her eyes, searching through her dresser for clothes. "I'm out of the game for _one_ month, and my crime empire is in ruins?" he snapped. He heard her laugh.

"Not my fault you can't control your mobsters." Her lips made a delicate pout as she decided between her usual plant ensemble or a silver button up dress.

"This has nothing to do with me not being in control. I have contacts _Pamela_," Ivy glared at the back of his head at her name, "I know it's your doing." She tossed aside her costume and started buttoning up the dress.

"I'll admit, toppling the empire you created was a bit satisfying."

Jason clenched his jaw, glaring at a fern. "You found it satisfying?" He crossed his arms. "I had them all in line, and _now_ they're all free to run rampant."

"Relax." Ivy cinched a belt around her waist, the silvery material of the dress cutting halfway across her thighs. "I was just joining in on the fun." She held her arm out in front of her, watching the color change to Ivory.

"Fun with everyone else?" Jason asked. Ivy walked around to the front of him, feathering her fingers through her hair.

"Yes, with everyone else. I didn't think you were that blind." Jason blinked at her. The dress was buttoned low down her chest, the collar falling wide on her shoulders. Her arms were crossed over the belt at her waist with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She watched him, her green eyes amused. "Crime is a playground right now." Jason narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"If you would pull your head out of Dick's ass, maybe you'd notice. Even if I hadn't had my fun with your men, they would have gone astray anyway." She shrugged, walking away. "People are going missing, some found dead, all of the lesser criminals are scared." She smirked at him over her shoulder. "If you're not a big name, you're a target. It's fun to watch all those little men squirm." Ivy flicked her hair over her shoulder. "I'm sure Batman's noticed unless he's been off playing Justice League. Has he even been around that much? I haven't seen Catwoman around."

"Why? What's going on exactly."

Ivy rolled her eyes. "I don't know, and I don't care. Seems like people are taking up your mantel. 'Kill criminals' or whatnot." She leaned against the table, watching him. "Even Joker's men haven't been left alone."

"And what? You just decided to take advantage of the chaos?" Ivy examined her nails.

"Well why not? Lot's of people are. I've seen Cheshire around, and Arsenal. No connection there I'm sure."

"But why the men who paid up to me?" Jason asked. Ivy blinked.

"What?"

"Why… _toy_ around with people connected to me?" he pressed, smirking as he walked closer to her. She glared at him.

"A coincidence."

"Oh, really? Are you sure you didn't just want to get my attention?" He paused in front of her, glancing down at her.

"I'm sure," Ivy snapped.

"Okay, okay." Jason's eyes shone. "So you aren't up to anything, got my attention on accident, and what? Why the dress and pale skin, Poisonberry?" He flicked her sleeve. Ivy grew stiff.

"I thought you'd be more comfortable having a conversation if I looked more… human." Her eyes were angry for having to admit that. "I could always make my hand toxic enough to kill you instantly," she offered in a hiss. Jason smirked.

"I like you as you are, Flower," he told her quietly. Ivy had forgotten how easy it was for her pale skin to blush.

"I know." She continued to glare, not sure else how to react other than be angry. "Pheromones remember?" She smirked. _But why in the name of Mother Nature, can't I make myself use them on him?_

"You wouldn't dare," Jason hissed, his eyes narrowing. _God, I hope that's what this is_, he thought. "Now, as I said before, I have connections," he leaned his face dangerously close to hers, "so tell me what's really going on."

* * *

><p><em>I shouldn't have done that.<em>

To be perfectly honest, Dick wasn't sure why he had snapped on the men. The goons hadn't killed Courtney, or hurt Will, or murdered _Her,_ yet it was their blood on his gloves and splattered over his escrima sticks. The nightmares and dealing with the Joker so closely had brought to the surface every painful memory and reminder.

His sadness and hurt were phantom pains, always there, but only just. He couldn't explain why he felt so… detached from everything. Tonight, seeing Courtney strung up like some ghoulish warning, he'd completely lost control of himself. He pitied the men that he'd attacked. Ever since She'd died, he felt that his time was better spent at work, prowling Gotham as Nightwing, or getting as much sleep as possible between the two. He didn't give himself time for much else; in fact, he'd begun to eat as he drove to work and on the go. He never sat at his kitchen table anymore. As he slipped in his bedroom window now, he even considered heading out again. The Joker was still out there, and he didn't want to be home.

"Don't you _dare _go back out that window," a voice said behind him. He turned away from the window. He didn't jump. The voice was all too familiar.

"Not in the mood, Barbara," Dick sighed, not caring to start a fight by snapping. He removed his mask and dropped it on the bedside table next to the clock. It was nearly midnight, and he had to get up at seven to work.

"I know you're not, Dick. You aren't in the mood for any of us anymore. No one has seen you in days. We're all worried sick about you." Barbara straightened up from where she had been leaning against the doorjamb.

"I've been busy." He replied, wincing as he pulled his gloves off, and he sat to unlace his boots.

"I like the red," Barbara commented after a minute of watching him. He tugged a boot off.

"I felt like a change," he muttered, pulling his other boot off.

"You said that," she whispered. He winced as he tried to reach the holster on his back. Barbara rolled her eyes and turned him around irritably, unclipping the slim holster and unzipping his costume for him. "So you've been busy. If you haven't been taking care of yourself-"

"-Do I look like I haven't been taking care of myself?" Dick asked, flicking on the lamp by his bed and glaring at Barbara before peeling the top of the skintight suit over his head. He did look well fed, the wounds he'd sustained while fighting looked clean and carefully bandaged, and despite looking a little tired, the dark circles that usually shadowed his eyes were gone.

"You look like you've done nothing _but_ fight, work, and take care of yourself," she pointed out. Dick nodded.

"And is that such a bad thing?"

"It's a bad thing when it's this routine." Barbara said quietly.

"What are you-?" Dick began, but she cut him off.

"-What did you have for breakfast, Dick?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Her scoop neck sweater showed off her pretty collarbone. Her red hair tumbled over her shoulder.

Dick blinked in surprise. "A chocolate protein shake. What I always have."

"And lunch?"

"I get… I get a sandwich from the deli across the road from the station. I drink it with my coffee, in my travel mug. Why the sudden interest in my diet?" Dick asked curiously.

"You have the same thing every day?"

"Yeah, always a sandwich and coffee."

"And you skip dinner."

"How did you know I-"

"-old habits, Dick. I _know _you." Barbara said, taking a step closer to him. Dick inhaled sharply. Barbara continued, "You're ignoring everything that you're feeling and relying on this routine to keep you going. As long as you know what's coming, you can handle yourself. You can't even talk about Her."

"Yes I can," Dick protested. "Ever since She died, I haven't felt happy. I'm not sad, either, I'm just… doing my job. And She never-"

"-did you notice that you never acknowledge Her?" Barbara interrupted. Dick stared at her, his stomach knotting.

"What?" he asked.

"You never say her name." Barbara looked at him seriously, her blue eyes intense and caring. Dick could feel the blush creeping up his neck.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he choked, his jaw tightening. She held his gaze.

"Her name. You never say it. You just say '_Her'_. You can't handle saying her name because it would scratch that wall that you've put up to hold those emotions back. Instead of bury them, you need to acknowledge these emotions so you can move on and rejoin the rest of us." She said seriously. Barbara looked away from him. "She betrayed your trust and your love, Dick. _Harley _is dead."

She had been right. It had hurt to hear her name. She was really gone this time, and she wasn't coming back. Dick looked down, hopelessly clinging to anything he could. "Maybe she wasn't really dead, maybe-"

"-Dick-"

"-what if she just-"

"-_Dick_-"

"-She can't be dead!" he shouted at Barbara, surprising her. "She's faked her own death before! She's done this _before_! All we have to do is find whoever nursed her back to health before and that's where she'll be-"

"-Dick, she's in the Arkham Asylum _cemetery. _She's _gone_."

"No she isn't!" Dick closed his eyes against the tears welling in them. He was so sick of trying not to cry, and so sick of crying. They flooded down his cheeks against his will, and his fists clenched angrily. He didn't want to open his eyes.

"Harley is dead, Dick, you have to let her go," Barbara whispered, stroking his cheek gently and wiping away the tears. He wanted to shove her away. She wasn't the woman that he wished was standing in front of him now, but she _was _standing in front of him now. "I'm here, Dick, let it out. It's good for you." Barbara whispered, grabbing his bare shoulders gently and sitting him down on the bed. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back gently as he let go, sobbing into her hair.

"I hate this," Dick cried, leaning weakly on Barbara's shoulder. "I hate being a sad, ridiculous, weak _child_," he whispered. Barbara smiled a little.

"You aren't weak, Dick. The woman you love just died. That's enough to make anyone collapse, especially someone like you. This hit you hard because you're strong. You take on everyone else's problems. You father Damian and Tim and even _Jason _when Bruce is too busy being Batman. You took care of _me _when I was paralyzed. You were the one who taught Damian to have fun in his own way. You keep this family together and hold us up. It's okay for us to support you sometimes," she said softly, stroking his hair.

Dick didn't know what to think. The pain he felt was as unbearable as it had been when his parents had died. It felt unbelievably good to confide in someone. Dick pulled back and stroked Barbara's cheek. "Thank you. I…"

He couldn't stop himself as he leaned in, and their lips met. Barbara kissed him back, too stunned to do much else, until she finally pulled away. Their blue eyes met, both equally shocked. Dick looked down and closed his eyes. "I don't know why… I didn't mean to do that, I mean- I shouldn't have done that-" he wiped the tears from his cheeks, only to have more fall in their place.

Barbara watched him for a moment and then kissed him again. Dick pinched his eyes shut tight. He knew that he should pull away, that it was absolutely beyond the wrong moment… but he didn't really _want _to. As her lips grew more fervent against his, as his hands slid into her shirt, she pulled his hair, he ran his hands up her spine, his fingers brushing the scar from the gunshot wound that had paralyzed her; as Dick pulled her back on the bed, he knew he shouldn't be doing this, but he didn't care. He'd stopped caring the moment that their lips met. Kissing Barbara was familiar and comforting. He couldn't stop himself as he pulled her sweater over her head.

"-Dick- we can't- this isn't the right time. You're hurting, and I'm…" she moaned longingly into his kiss. _I'm too weak to stop you,_ she thought as she held him close, her hands on his cheeks. Barbara took in his scent and the feel of his skin under her hands, kissing him hard. _God, I've missed this. Missed him… no. This has to stop, Dick…_ "Dick!" She gasped, attempting to sound forceful. It would have been much more effective if his hands hadn't found her belt. She surrendered to his touch, pushing him back down against the pillows.


	6. She Was

_**This can't end well.**_

_**Hurting and in need of comfort, Dick and Barbara took advantage of each other's pain. Their past relations- and recent events- persuade the people around them to push for Dick's acceptance of Harley's death. **_

_**But he can't be rid of the pain. Turning to guilt after his night with Barbara, Jason tries to help Dick in the only way he knows to forget a woman- with a few drinks. Dick is in over his head, and just needs to forget for a while...**_

"Dick?"

He mumbled softly, his dark brow knitting.

"Dick…" The voice came again. His head tossed a little, and he whimpered.

"...Harley?" he croaked weakly. Barbara looked down sadly, stroking his strong chest. She rested her head against his shoulder.

"No. No it's me, Dick. It's Babs." She whispered, kissing his chest. Her hand slid down his abs and she wrapped her arm around his waist. Dick took a deep, shuddering breath, his body stiffening. She slid her hand back up his chest and traced his collarbone.

"I'm sorry, Babs," Dick said quietly. She nodded against his shoulder.

"I know," Barbara closed her eyes. She decided not to mention the times he'd called out for _her_ in his sleep. _Face it, Girl. You're not the one he wants anymore._

"What time is it?" he breathed, his chest rising and falling slowly in the dark.

"Almost three a.m. You fell asleep," she whispered, opening her eyes again and stroking his cheek. He didn't look at her.

Dick laid still for a precious minute more, and when he stood up to pull on his boxer shorts, Barbara admired his muscular silhouette against the city lights through the window, knowing that she hadn't seen him like this since before she'd been paralyzed, and she'd never get to see him like this again. She couldn't help but wonder if Harley had cherished that last look before she'd died, or if she'd cared at all. That was one thing that hurt Barbara the most, as she lay there thinking in his bed. Harley Quinn had stolen his heart, and she didn't want it. _She didn't know what she had,_ Barbara thought, and then corrected herself. _What she _has. _Even in death I can't compete with what he sees in her._ Dick paused, still not meeting her eyes.

"That was a mistake. Barbara, I'm sorry." He said quietly. She nodded and looked down.

"I know. I'm not her." She whispered, sitting up and holding the sheets over her chest.

"That doesn't- Babs, thats not what I meant, I-"

Dick jumped as a man tumbled in through the open window. A police car wailed past in the street and Barbara stifled a scream. Jason stood up, wrenching his Red Hood mask off of his head.

"DICK! I need to borrow your-" Jason froze when he saw Barbara. "Or I could need to have never seen this."

"Jason, what the _hell _did you do now!?" Dick leaned out the window to see that the squad car had gone, and then furiously closed the window, pulling the curtains shut. "You're going to jeopardize my job diving in here like that- if someone had seen you-"

"-Do not change the subject," Jason interrupted, glancing between Dick and Barbara. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Nothing, Jason," Dick snapped furiously, grabbing him gruffly by the collar and shoving him out of the room before him, closing the door. He threw him into the living room. "You have a really bad habit of pissing me off."

"Hey, I'm sorry if I interrupted you in the middle of something," Jason said defensively. "I just didn't think you _would_ be in the middle of something."

"I wasn't. She was just leaving," he said heatedly, running a hand through his hair.

"Uh huh," Jason mumbled, watching Dick carefully. "And before she was leaving?"

Dick didn't answer as Barbara came out of the bedroom and slipped past them to the door, letting it slam shut behind her as she rushed down the stairs before either of them could see her cry.

"So," Jason said, a hand over his mouth to cover his smile. "Do you have anything to say? Because there is no way to sweep this under the rug." Jason smirked.

"What do you want me to say, Jason!?" Dick demanded, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger.

"I don't know! I'm not the one who just hooked up with his ex," Jason snapped.

"Get out of my apartment," Dick said, but he wasn't forceful. He looked down at the ground. "God, what have I done…"

"Are you two getting back together?" Jason asked quietly, his face genuinely curious.

"I don't think so. That was… God, I don't know what we were thinking. I…" he shook his head, rubbing his face.

"But there is a possibility," Jason pressed, crossing his arms. "So does this mean…. are you over Her?"

"Over her- Jay, I feel like I just _betrayed _her!" Dick cried, dropping onto the sofa. Jason sat beside him but kept his distance.

"I know this is going to suck to hear," Jason whispered, "but you didn't cheat on her or anything. She's dead." He reached his hand toward Dick but let it drop back to his side. "You are allowed to see someone else."

"Barbara is another heartbreak waiting to happen," Dick sighed, dropping his head in his hands. "For both of us."

"I'm pretty sure everyone said the same thing about Harley, but that didn't stop you," Jason countered.

"Yeah, and look where it got me. I need to give up and just listen to you. To everyone. I shouldn't be allowed to make any decisions." Dick said quietly, his elbows resting on his knees. "I can't stand it. I'm never happy. I act like I am. No one notices. Who cares? 'I'll get over it eventually' is what everyone says, but I don't think I can." Jason clapped him on the shoulder.

"Well then I think it's time that you not think anymore."

"Jay, it's three in the morning, I just want to go to bed," Dick protested.

"Nope, no excuses." Jason pulled him to his feet. "I am getting you drunk."

"Jason-" he sighed irritably and ran a hand through his hair. "One drink. Maybe two. I have to work in the morning." Dick left the room and came back fully dressed, his jacket in his hand. Jason laughed.

"Come on big brother," he taunted. "I'll show you how it's done."

* * *

><p>The massive library was dark as Bruce stepped through the grandfather clock secret passage from the Batcave. He was dressed in the skintight shirt that he always wore under his batsuit, and had put on a pair of lightweight black sweatpants. The clock slid closed behind him and Bruce began to walk across the library, but he stopped. Turning his head ever so slightly, Bruce sighed softly.<p>

"You shouldn't wait up for me. I hope Alfred had enough sense to go to bed by now. What are you doing?" He turned toward Selina, sitting in a deep plush chair nestled among the books. In her black blouse and dark jeans, she almost looked like a shadow.

"I thought it was fairly obvious," she murmured, standing up. "I was waiting." She raised one eyebrow in amusement.

"Why are you waiting on me?" Bruce asked quietly, his shoulders straight and rigid. She walked over to him, her hips swaying. Her hand rested gently on his chest as she stared up into his eyes.

"Is it a bad thing?"

"You should be sleeping," he said, his face impassive.

"But sleep is so boring," Selina purred, running her other hand over his abs. Bruce looked at her seriously.

"You need it. When was the last time you got any sleep, Selina?"

"When was the last time you got any?" she countered, her fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. Bruce rolled his eyes.

"I sleep when I can. Let's get you to bed, come on," Bruce said, guiding her toward the door, a hand on the small of her back.

"See, that's the difference between you and I," she chuckled as she let him lead her. "I sleep when I want to, and right now I don't want to."

"Well I do," Bruce grumbled, guiding her up the stairs. "I hope Damian went to bed… he was awfully angry that I didn't let him go out tonight…" Bruce glanced into Damian's dark room and then shut the door behind him. He followed Selina to their bedroom. She lounged across the bed.

"Maybe you should start letting him do his own patrols," she mused with a smile. "Then you could be home more."

"Don't even joke about that kind of thing, Selina. He's still a boy. He's ten years old," Bruce said, almost angrily. He bit his tongue, feeling bad for snapping, and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Selina." She stood up and pulled him over to sit on the bed beside her.

"Then let him go out with Dick, but don't keep him locked up here," she warned him, running her fingers through the hair above his ear. Bruce shook his head.

"Have you seen Dick? He looks fine. I know him too well for that. He's falling apart, and _he _doesn't even know it." Selina grabbed his face and forced him to look at her.

"Have you talked to him?" she demanded.

"No," Bruce frowned. "Dick doesn't listen to me. He's a good man and a good son, but he's as stubborn as Damian is."

"And they both got it from you." She stroked a finger across his cheek. "He needs a father right now. Not Batman."

"I'm not sure I _ever _was a father to Dick," Bruce confessed, sighing. Selina kissed his ear.

"Of course you were," she whispered. "You took him in when he had no one. Just like you did with all of us." Bruce closed his eyes.

"I love you, Selina," he said quietly, taking her hand.

"Good," she smiled. She put her finger under his chin and guided his face toward hers. She kissed him lightly before breaking it off with a smile. "I would be extremely put out if you didn't," she whispered against his lips.

"Selina…" Bruce trailed off, his eyes closed. He kissed her gently.

"I thought you wanted to go to sleep," she teased, draping her arms around his neck. Bruce opened his pale eyes, looking at her seriously.

"I do. Selina…" he started again, looking down. "...we _should_ really sleep," he finally gave up, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Hmm," she mumbled, nuzzling his neck. He grabbed her face, and pulled it up to kiss her hungrily. She moaned softly as he pushed her back until she was laying down, and she pulled his shirt over his head. She tossed it aside and kissed his shoulder as he started to unbutton her blouse. She nibbled his ear, and he gave up, ripping the blouse open. He kissed her stomach.

Selina rolled him over, pinning his arms by his side. Bruce tried to kiss her, but she pulled away with a mischievous smile. "Bruce," she whispered, kissing his jaw before pulling away again. He groaned in frustration. "Do you trust me to do the right thing?" she asked, going still. He went tense. For a long while he stared into her pleading eyes. He nodded once, and she released his arms. He grabbed her by the hip and the neck, pulling her down closer to him as he fiercely kissed her.

* * *

><p>Jason pulled the bottle out of Dick's hand for the third time. "You've had enough."<p>

"But I- tha's not finished," Dick slurred, looking at Jason pointedly and reaching for the bottle.

"No." Jason slapped Dick's hand away. "So I am willing to admit when I made a mistake, and this was a _huge_ mistake." He watched Dick try and signal the bartender for another beer. The bartender glanced at Jason who shook his head.

"The service here _sucks_!" Dick shouted at the bartender, nearly slipping out of his seat. Jason caught his jacket.

"I think I need to get you home," Jason said as he helped Dick stay upright, wrapping an arm around Dick's shoulders.

"I think les' have another drink…" Dick dithered, leaning heavily on Jason and barely even making an attempt to hold himself up. "I don't want to go home- home has Bruce there and I don't want to see Bruce anymore."

"You have your own place," Jason reminded him, exasperated. He started dragging Dick toward the door. Dick scoffed.

"Jus' 'cause I'm Bruce's heir doesn't mean its my place _yet_," he corrected, like it should be obvious.

"No, Dick," Jason sighed, shouldering the door open. "You rented an apartment. I am taking you to your apartment."

"Heh," he snorted. "I'm 'dick'." He laughed as he almost toppled forward out of Jason's arm.

"_Now_ he makes fun of his name," Jason muttered to himself.

Dick blinked slowly, as if he'd just heard Jason."My apartmen- Jay I don' wanna go there, she was there."

"Barbara left remember?" Jason told him, hailing a taxi.

"No… Harley was there I don' wanna go…" he suddenly relaxed all of his muscles, sliding out of Jason's arms and onto the pavement. Jason groaned.

"Dick it is your apartment, and you need to sleep," he hissed through his teeth.

"I don' need sleep. I'm the goddamn Batman," he mumbled, his face against the concrete.

"No you aren't," Jason grunted as he hefted Dick back up to his feet. He shoved him into the waiting taxi. Dick sat up on the seat with some difficulty and leaned forward to the driver.

"This man doesn't believe I'm Batman," he whispered, and then slid forward onto the floor, crying out. Dick scrambled to get back up as Jason told the driver the address.

"Fine, you're Batman," Jason snapped. He attempted to buckle Dick into his seat.

"No I'm not, stupid, I'm Nightwing," Dick retorted, rolling the window down. "Where we going?"

"Where do you think we're going," Jason sidestepped the question. Dick's face suddenly lit.

"Are we goin' to the circus!? I own it y'know, we could play on the trapeze and we- we could pet the animals..."

"Sure, we're going to the circus," Jason sighed, rolling his eyes. "You can pet the animals." Dick was silent for a moment as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He looked out the window, rolling it up and down, and then suddenly let out a wail.

"No we can't, Jay, we can't! Thas' where Harley an' I had our firs' date…" he groaned and dropped his head in his hands, and then slid forward off of the seat with the shifted weight. His head smacked into the back of the driver's seat. Jason hauled him back into the seat.

"Are you going to avoid everything that reminds you of her?"

Dick tried to sit up, and then looked at Jason, his eyes fighting to stay open. "Tha's a great idea! I have to. You don' understand Jay cuz you don' have a girlfriend- well you _do_ but you don' have a girlfriend you can _touch_- I miss her so much Jay! I can't- I don't wanna even-" Dick sniffled, dropping his head onto Jason's shoulder. "I'm so alone…" he whined, wrapping his arms around Jason.

"I'm going to ignore the insults," Jason mumbled, awkwardly patting Dick's head. "And you aren't alone, okay? Or I could just leave you here to get home on your own."

"I thought we were goin' to the circus!" Dick shouted, shoving Jason away. "You _liar._ You a murderler _and _a liar," he mumbled, leaning against the door. His hand toyed with the door handle.

"You said you didn't want go to the circus!" Jason cried.

"Fine! If you don' want me to go _that bad_, then I guess we don' have to go!" Dick crossed his arms, but then dropped his head back against the headrest. "Jay how do you kill somebody?" Jason's head snapped toward him in surprise.

"Seriously?! Right now? That's what you want to talk about?"

"Bruce won't kill him. But I'll. He won't do it…" Dick mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Dick you aren't killing anyone." Jason glanced at the cab driver. "No one is killing anyone."

"-took her away from me he… took her away we coulda been together if he hadn't… I have dreams 'bout killing him. I stab him. Every time, I stab him," Dick looked at Jason seriously.

"And I had a dream where Tim and Damian got along. Obviously nobody's dreams are coming true."

"He deserves it though, Jay!" Dick snapped. "All the people he's… and everything he's… he deserves it. His jokes aren't funny, and he _deserves_ it."

"Dick, you're against killing remember?" Jason told him, trying to keep the amused look off his face. Dick stared straight forward vacantly.

"She wasn't. Damian isn't. Maybe they changed me."

"Damian is now," Jason said firmly. "And she was good in the end. Maybe she was."

"_You're _not," Dick said earnestly, as the cab driver pulled up outside of Dick's apartment building.

"Do you really want to take example from me?" Jason asked. He paid the driver with a sizable tip before opening Dick's door. He dropped out of the car, and Jason caught him.

"Well why not?" Dick stumbled, pushing Jason away. "You're strong. Decisi- Decevi- Des- You make decisions. Independant. There're a lot of good- things- about you-" Dick leaned against a light pole and glared at him. "I'm not- you're not- I…" he trailed off, trying to remember his train of thought. Dick looked down.

"Come on." Jason grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the front door. Dick tore his arm away.

"I'm not talkin' bout killing someone innocent or anything! I'm talkin' bout _him_! Cuz he killed _her_! It would jus' be whas' coming to him. Why is that so _wrong_!? Fine! So I don' wanna join the Justice League, who _cares_! Bruce. Bruce cares. I'm sick of listenin' to _Bruce_ jus' cause he's got a cool cape! I'm done bein' his… soldier…" Dick leaned forward dangerously, looking at his boots. Jason grabbed Dick's arm and put it over his shoulder as he shuffled forward.

"Tell me about it on the way," Jason said sardonically.

Dick didn't respond as they shuffled up the stairs. He instead stared at his feet, tripping the whole way, until Jason finally got them into his apartment. Dick sat down on the couch and Jason pulled him back up, dragging him to his bedroom. Dick still stared at his shoes.

"You need to sleep," Jason commanded. He sat Dick on the bed. He still didn't move, his shoulders slumped in his jacket. "Don't make me undress you," Jason warned. Dick shrugged indifferently, and then slowly fell onto his side, burying his face in the blankets, his legs hanging off of the bed. "Whatever." Jason shrugged.

Dick mumbled something into the blankets. Jason sighed in exasperation and Dick sat up a bit, curling into a ball. "Jus' like flying."

"What?"

"Falling is jus' like flying," he said again, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. Dick gathered the blankets in his arms, closing his eyes. "I miss her so much," he whispered weakly. Jason stared at him for a second. Suddenly, he fell on the bed and laid next to Dick.

"I bet you fall asleep first," he taunted, putting his hands under his head. Dick squeezed his eyes closed, stifling a sob.

"We haven't played- that game- since we were kids," Dick smiled a little, mopping a sleeve across his face.

"Nope," Jason agreed. "So what are the stakes?"

"You don' have what I want, Jay," Dick whimpered, dragging him close and burying his face in his jacket. "I miss you. You never come see any of us anymore- probably cuz you're in prison- but still..."

"Well you never exactly came to visit me in prison did you?"

"I should have," Dick groaned. "I'm an awful brother…"

"You're the awful brother?" Jason stared down at him incredulously. "I was the one in prison."

"But I wasn't there for you. I haven't been there for any of you. An' thas' worse than being a killing people brother," Dick slurred, his eyes closed.

"We'll talk when you're sober about how messed up those priorities are," Jason muttered.

"I'm the never-there-for-you brother an' you're jus' the murdering one…" Dick suddenly looked up at him, his face pained. "Jay, I feel so lost without her. She was… was…" His eyes flickered closed, his head fell on the pillow.

Jason patted his head, sitting up. "She was," he agreed quietly.


	7. The Joker Sense of the Word

_**He can't truly forget.**_

_**Sleeping with Barbara had been a mistake. It only added to the guilt, pain, and fear that Dick already felt; the pain of loss at Harley's death, the guilt at feeling he betrayed her- and fear that the Joker is closing in on him. He doesn't know why the Joker has suddenly focused on him, but he has a pretty good idea.**_

_**Back at work but unable to focus, Dick and Will talk to one of the Joker's henchmen that Nightwing had left at the station the day before. They find out just how far the Joker is willing to go to get Nightwing. Tensions are high, but responsibility still weighs on Dick's shoulders. He has a job to do.**_

Dick cried out and nearly fell out of bed when Asia's _Heat of the Moment _started blasting from his cracked iPhone on the nightstand. He scrambled for it, smacking the screen desperately to make it stop. He picked it up, and the reminder on the screen read simply 'I set it twice'. Dick groaned.

_Jason… I will kill you…_ he groaned again as the wave of nausea hit. Putting his phone back down on the nightstand with his face in the pillow, Dick felt a piece of paper. He sat up curiously, fighting the urge to vomit. It was a piece of paper folded in half. Jason had scribbled a note on the outside.

Alfred didn't want to give this to you because he thought it would upset you, but you're right that I couldn't give you what you wanted (even though you lost), so I thought I'd give you this instead.

Dick flipped open the paper, and nestled inside was a picture. It was the one that the photographer at Bruce's gala had snapped of him and Harley dancing. It was from their profiles. He was smiling while she was glancing down, blushing, her dress flowing to one side as he led her through the dance. Dick looked at it and smiled a little, stroking her image gently with his thumb. He sat up with some effort, trying to ignore the pounding in his head, and reached into the drawer of the nightstand. Pulling out a beaten and torn and taped copy of _Live and Let Die_ by Ian Fleming, he opened the pages and slipped the photograph in beside the others; the pictures that he and his brothers took at the carnival, a photo of Barbara sitting on his lap, a santa hat on her head and her wheelchair beside them, the one of he and Harley at the circus, an old folded and taped picture of his family in front of a Flying Graysons poster, and a yellowed photo of Bruce, Alfred, and himself when he first became Robin. Dick smiled a little at the pictures and then closed the book, replacing it in the drawer. Dick got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom.

After taking a cold shower and throwing up a few times, Dick finally tugged his uniform on and went to work. He dropped into his desk and covered his face with his hat, his elbows on the desk.

"Here," Will said as he set a coffee down in front of Dick. Dick recoiled, coughing a bit.

"Nope," he groaned, sliding it back to Will's desk. He picked his aviator sunglasses up off of the desk and put them on, pulling his hat lower on his head.

"What's up with you?" Will asked, swiveling his chair closer to his desk.

"A really, really, _really_ long night," Dick responded, closing his eyes against the dizziness.

"Anything interesting?" Will questioned as he booted up his computer.

"I don't know. Does hooking up with your ex-fiancee and then getting drunk with your criminal brother count as interesting? I slept maybe an hour last night," Dick groaned, his head dropping down to the desk and his arms covering his face. Will stared at him a moment.

"You are living two lives, and _both_ of them are more screwed up than mine," he said sympathetically.

"Oh God, Barbara what have I done…" Dick moaned, his words muffled by the table.

"What about Barbara?" Gordon asked, stopping by their desks. Dick made a choking sound, his arms tightening around his head. Gordon looked at Will. "What the hell's wrong with him?"

"I think he's hungover." Will shrugged.

"Well, I came here to see if you two were up to interrogating the one Joker henchman we have here that wasn't hospitalized by Nightwing yesterday." Gordon glanced at Dick. "But if you don't feel up to it…"

"No we'll do it," his head rolled up and he looked at Gordon through his sunglasses.

"Alright," the Commissioner said slowly. "See what you can get out of him."

Dick looked at Will as soon as Gordon had walked away. "I don't wanna do this."

"Nightwing was the one who left all those men outside? Dick, when I got back to the station and saw them… you're lucky none of them died. Hell, one nearly did while they were transporting him to the hospital," Will said seriously.

"Well they didn't. And apparently, I left one of them too alive," Dick said as he stood. Will followed, and they went downstairs to the interrogation rooms.

"I don't know what the hell has gotten into you," Will said, stopping him at the door. "But I don't like it. And I don't think Harley would either." He opened the door and left Dick standing there. He took a deep breath and followed.

A man sat at the cold metal table in the middle of the room, handcuffs around his wrists. His face was swollen and bruised and there was a bandage on his forehead; Will glanced at Dick as he sat down in the chair across from the criminal. Dick leaned against the wall beside the one-way glass behind them.

"You the good cop?" the man grunted. Will smiled cordially.

"Mr. Konrad, isn't it? Jerry Konrad? Do you mind if I call you Jerry?" Will asked. The man leaned back slowly.

"Can't stop you if you do," he mumbled, the chains on his handcuffs preventing him from moving too much.

"Where were you yesterday at around 12:30 in the afternoon?" Will questioned, flipping open a folder on the table. Jerry snorted.

"Midtown Gotham," he replied. "Warehouse District."

"And what were you doing there?"

"Meetin' with the Joker," he said bluntly.

"Did the Joker give you any specific instructions or anything?" Will pressed, resting his elbows on the table.

"He told us to be ready for his orders. Then he left."

"When did his orders come?" Will asked. He took out a pen and clicked it open.

"'Bout around 5 in the afternoon." He glanced at Will's notepad. "Um, I was at the shitty Burger King across the river, if you wanna write that down. He called me," Jerry said gruffly.

"What did he want?" Will sighed impatiently.

"Told me to meet him at that ramshackle diner around the corner," Jerry smiled, raising his eyebrows.

"And who all went?" Will scribbled notes.

"Just me. I met the Joker there, he wanted it to be a small thing. Quiet-like, y'know? If it's a confession you're lookin' for, you won't get one from me. I didn't kill those people. Just strung em' up after he did," Jerry smiled. "You can lock me up in Blackgate, I ain't got nothin' out here in Gotham to live for. I'll be safer there, anyway." Will stared at him and laid the pen aside.

"Safe from what? The Joker?"

"From the other one," Jerry said. "Some other vigilante's been pickin' off his men. We don't know where they go, they just vanish."

"Well, what are you guys doing that is attracting attention? Maybe we can help you," Will offered. Jerry snorted.

"Maybe. Look, I dunno. Joker's been laid back. He's up to somethin' but he's playin' it close to the chest. Nobody knows nothin' about it. We've been pullin' standard jobs. Robberies n' such. He's obsessed with whatever he's workin on, but since he offed Quinn, none of us know nothin'. C'ept that he's damn interested in that Nightwing kid." Jerry shook his head. Dick didn't move, still leaning against the wall.

"What do you mean 'interested'? Will asked slowly.

"Interested in the _Joker _sense of the word," Jerry laughed. "He put out a bounty on him. Alive gets ya ten thousand dollars."

"That's not much," Dick mumbled.

"It's a lot to the people who don't got _ten _dollars," Jerry snapped. "Joker says that the kid took somethin' from him. Says he didn't want that somethin' anyway, but if he can't have it nobody could, and he mussed it up somehow. He doesn't make a lot of sense when he's talkin, mind you, he's kinda lost his marbles. More than he was before, anyway. He got rid of whatever Nightwing took, only now he says he wants to see the kid 'cause it made him sad. Says he wants to put a _smile _back on his face."

"So why the diner?" Will raised an eyebrow otherwise keeping his face neutral.

Jerry laughed softly and shook his head. He leaned forward toward Will. "He says that Nightwing is one a _you_. Thas' why he dressed that hobo up like a cop, and he says that one a _you _goes there all the time. Any ideas, Officer?"

Dick sat up from the wall, taking his sunglasses off. He looked at Will in horror over the man's shoulder. Will ignored him, keeping Jerry's attention on him.

"A lot of us go to that diner," Will said coolly. Dick relaxed a bit. It was mostly true, after all. It wasn't _a lot,_ but several officers did.

"Of course, Joker mighta been mistaken," Jerry shrugged, leaning back again. "He's completely unravelled." Will nodded.

"So what happened after you left the diner?"

"Joker was all excited when we went back to the warehouse. He wouldn't stop babbling about his plans, none a us payed any attention to it, we're not supposed to; he sent us back to his place from about a month ago, and told us to wait for Nightwing. He was certain he'd show, and the kid didn't disappoint," Jerry rubbed his swollen eye gingerly.

"So you were supposed to kill Nightwing?" Will asked, uncertain. "Or hurt him? What?"

"Naw, we were supposed to catch him! Joker wants him alive, yeah? So we had to get him. But the sonofa bitch was so fast- he was pissed as all hell- we didn't even _touch _him. That don' matter though." Jerry smiled. "Joker knows his shit. He knows who will piss Nightwing off, and he'll get him. Half of Gotham is on the watch for him, hell, I've seen _housewives _with guns tellin' me they're out huntin' _Robins_," he laughed.

"So Nightwing is the crime world's most wanted?"

"Seems that way. Joker wants him more than the freakin' Bat right now." Jerry sighed. "Are we done? Can I go now? I'd like to sleep back in the holding cell."

Dick wordlessly walked out of the interrogation room. He stopped in the hall, bracing himself against the wall and closing his eyes, trying to control the guilt and panic in his chest. He breathed slowly, closing his eyes and sliding down the wall, his back pressed to the cold concrete. His head hurt like hell, he was tired and still felt sick to his stomach, and the Joker knew who he was. Dick wasn't worried about Bruce. Joker had said in the past, more than once, that finding out who Batman was would ruin the fun. Clearly he didn't think that about Nightwing. He was a second-rate hero. He didn't matter in the Joker's war with Batman. Dick ran his hands through his hair, closing his eyes against the harsh fluorescent lights in the hallway. The door clicked open as Will stepped into the hall.

After a few moments of silence, Will spoke, "Are you all right?"

"I should never have done this." Dick breathed, biting his lip. He looked down at his hands in his lap. "So much could have been avoided if I'd just walked out of Harley's office at the start of all of this. He only knew- he only got pissed because he saw me protect her. He knew I loved her. I never thought he'd do this, though."

"You can't blame yourself," Will whispered, squatting down beside him. "All of this is the Joker's doing not yours. And unless you regret not just walking out of that office, you have nothing to feel sorry about."

"I don't regret it. I can't." Dick sighed, looking at Will. "You're right." He stood slowly. "I just keep making bad decision after bad decision, and I feel like I'm drowning, Will. But I'll be okay." Dick smiled, but he didn't exactly sound sure of himself.

"You keep saying that, but I'll believe it when I see it," Will said with a smile, standing up. Dick shook his head, laughing wryly.

"That may be a while." He sighed and bit his lip, thinking about Barbara. _Why am I thinking about Barbara!?_ he thought, shaking his head.

"Come on." Will held his hand out to help Dick up. He took it and they walked up the stairs. "You can take him back to his cell," Will told the officer waiting at the top of the stairs. He went to drop the file off in Gordon's office before returning to their desks. Dick just wanted to forget about the Joker for a moment. The light was brighter up here, and Dick winced before putting his sunglasses back on. "How's your hangover treating you?" Will laughed.

"Do you know the last time I was drunk? Because I don't," Dick smiled, rubbing his temples. "It's hell."

"I think it was when you passed your exam to become a cop." Will sat down at his desk. "You couldn't hold your liquor then either."

"I wasn't drinking until she died, either," Dick groaned. "I'm glad Jason took me out last night, though."

"Do you even remember anything from last night?" Will chuckled.

"I don't know," Dick confessed truthfully and ran a hand through his hair, leaning back in his chair. It was fuzzy. He remembered Barbara. Unfortunately the alcohol hadn't expelled that memory. He still remembered her lips on his, and the familiar feeling of her red hair sifting through his fingers. Dick remembered the sweater she was wearing, and waking up with her beside him, and then Jason dumped in through the window. He remembered the sign on the bar that they'd entered. He couldn't recall the name, but he remembered wondering where it was, and asking Jason, too; the sign had hung on two chains from a pole sticking out over the door, like some old-fashioned tavern from a movie. Dick shook his head slowly. "I remember Babs," he said quietly.

"Right," Will dragged out the word. "And from the intense look of guilt on your face, I'm going to guess that was a mistake."

"It was a really big mistake." Dick agreed, but bit his lip. "I don't really know, though. She and I have a history that, it seems to me, anyway, could prevent us ever being together. At the same time…" Dick trailed off.

"If she makes you happy, I say go for it," Will told him, leaning across his desk. "But only if you're sure that it's what you really want, and that you want to make it work because I don't think I can watch you go through that again."

"I know," Dick smiled a little. "I'll have to think on it. If she's willing to try with me after that fiasco last night… well, I'd be willing, too." He looked down, feeling a pang of guilt in his stomach again. _Harley._ Will stared at him, his face unreadable.

"So that means you are willing to completely let go of Harley?" he asked. Dick smiled a little.

"Nope," he shook his head. "I felt guilty as hell last night. Like I was cheating on her."

"Then Dick," Will chuckled, running a hand over his eyes, "you aren't ready to try with someone else."

"You're right. That's why it was a mistake," he looked at him. "What about you? How's Molly holding up?" Will smiled, thinking about his wife.

"She's good. She's been stronger than me through this. I mean, she knows there's something I'm not telling her, but she understands enough not to ask."

"Thats good," Dick smiled. Will stared at him for a moment.

"You forgot didn't you?" he accused.

"I… what did I forget?" Dick looked at him blankly.

"Remember I asked you…" Will trailed off with a sigh. "Molly and I haven't been out since before I was kidnapped, and you said…"

"...I said you needed to go out on a date night," Dick looked down. "And that I'd babysit Lilly… yeah I forgot." Will ran a hand across his forehead.

"We can try and find someone else, or postpone if you don't-"

"-no I'll do it. I just… are you sure you want me there? The Joker knows who I am," he said quietly. "I don't exactly know if that's a good idea."

"Does the Joker have to ruin everything?" Will complained.

"That's true, but… all right, Will, I'll do it. But only because you need this, and-" Dick looked at him seriously- "because I'm one of the only babysitters who could protect her while she's home alone."

"Nothing is going to happen, okay?" Will said fiercely, looking worried. Dick nodded in agreement.

"Nothing," he said, smiling. "It'll be okay."


	8. Be Careful

_**He's getting too close.**_

_**The Joker's attacks before seemed like warnings, the diner, the bounty on his head; Nightwing was cautious, but not overly concerned. Until they begin escalating.**_

_**The attacks are hitting closer to home, with more people pulled into the fight. They'll wind up dead, collateral damage; if he isn't careful.**_

Dick stepped up to the front door of Will's small house, lined up in a nice neighborhood with other little houses. He knocked on the door. Someone scampered up to the door, and after a few seconds of pulling at the door handle, Lilly got the door open.

"Dick!" she cried, hugging his legs. He laughed, hugging her back as best he could.

"Hi Lilly!" he pried her off of him and knelt in front of her.

"What do you wanna play first?" she asked.

"Hold on Lilly," Molly called from inside. "Let Dick come in first." Lilly pouted and grabbed Dick's hand to pull him in the door. He smiled and followed her, glancing at Molly.

"Hello, Molly. You look lovely," Dick put one hand on his hip, Lilly still dangling from his other.

"Thank you." She smiled. "It's good to see you again, it's been so long."

"That is not my fault!" Will yelled from somewhere in the house. Dick laughed.

"It's not," he agreed. "I've been busy. Going through a rough patch." Molly smiled knowingly.

"No one can expect you to get better in a month," she said gently before turning her head. "Will hurry up or we'll miss our reservation!"

"I'm coming," he cried, rushing into the room. Dick laughed.

"You haven't gotten any more punctual," he smiled.

"Hey, I'm on time more than you." He smiled and kissed Molly on the cheek.

"You have our numbers, right?" she asked Dick.

"Yeah, I have them both." Lilly tugged on his arm and he smiled.

"I wanna show you my Elsa doll," she told him, running off to get it.

"In bed by eight, Lilly!" Molly called after her. "Just try and get her down by nine," she told Dick quietly. He laughed.

"Of course, Molly. You guys are gonna be late. I'll see you when you get back," Dick hugged her. "You kids have fun."

"Thank you," Will told him, grabbing Molly's hand. They were heading out the door as Lilly scampered back into the room dragging her doll.

"Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy!" she called. Dick stood beside her on the stoop as they drove away. He looked down at Lilly, his hands on his hips.

"Well what now, sweetheart?" He smiled as he guided her back into the house and closed the door.

"This is Elsa," she said, shoving the doll into his arms. "She's the ice queen."

Dick laughed, examining the doll. "She's pretty."

"Uh huh," Lilly noded wisely. "I'm gonna be her because you can't handle that much power, but you can be her sister, Anna." She pulled Dick into the living room. "Come on, I'll show you!"

Dick followed her and sat down on the couch. He turned the doll over in his hands, smiling a little. "What do you mean show me? Is it a movie?"

"Yup." She pressed play on the DVD player, the movie already inside. Running back, she curled up beside Dick, her head on his leg. He smiled and relaxed into the couch, stroking her hair.

When the movie was over, Dick scooped Lilly up. She'd fallen asleep halfway through, and he didn't wake her as he carried her upstairs to her bedroom and tucked her in with her Elsa doll. He left the door ajar and went back down the stairs, glancing at his phone. It was almost nine, and Will wouldn't be home for another hour. Dick's head was hurting again, so he went into the bathroom and dug around for some aspirin, taking them dry. He returned to the couch and sat down, closing his eyes and waiting for the pain to ebb away. His phone buzzed on his leg.

Good evening, Richard came Damian's text. Dick smiled a little.

Hey. What are you texting me for? Did Bruce lock you up again?

No. But we have some interesting information.

Dick frowned, texting Damian back. What might that be?

You know that the Joker is targeting you, correct?

Yeah, I found out today

Father wants you home immediately.

Dick scoffed. Of course Bruce was worried about him, and he should be glad that he cared so much, but for some reason, the text only irritated him.

Tell him Im busy

You know he won't accept that as an answer, Richard.

I know, but I am. just deflect the question and say I wont text you back

stop texting me back, Richard!

Dick laughed a little and put the phone down beside his hand, closing his eyes again and leaning his head back against the couch. He liked Will's house. It was small and welcomingly decorated, perfect for a little family of three. As he dozed off, Dick suddenly heard glass smash upstairs. He shot off of the couch.

_Oh God, no…_ he'd warned Will that this would happen. Dick raced up the stairs and burst into Lilly's room as she screamed, flames from the smashed bottle on the floor spreading over the carpet. Dick grabbed Lilly out of her bed, snatching up the Elsa doll, and ran from the room. He covered her face as another bottle flew in through the kitchen window and the entire counter was suddenly alight. She screamed into his coat as he ran to the front door, tugging at the handle.

"Son of a-" he yanked at the door, but it still wouldn't open.

"Dick!" Lilly wailed in his arms, and he put a hand on her head.

"It's gonna be okay, Lilly, shh…" he turned and headed for the back door, but flames had spread in front of it, burning the paint from the wood. The fire was spreading faster and faster. Dick made sure Lilly's face was covered, and he took a step toward the door. Gunfire exploded across its outside surface. Dick breathed hard, stepping back as Lilly screamed and cried in his arms. He looked up the stairs, made a split second decision, and then ran up them. He burst into Will's bedroom and then closed the door behind him, hoping that he could keep some of the flames at bay that hadn't yet reached this room. He put Lilly down.

"It's gonna be okay, Lil, I've got you." he said earnestly, wrapping his cargo jacket around her and covering her head with the gray hood. He stuck the Elsa doll in the pocket of it, and then lifted her onto his back. "Hold on as tight as you can, Lilly. As tight as you possibly can."

Lilly's arms tightened around his neck and she wrapped her legs around his waist, burying her face in his shoulder. Dick picked up the nightstand and smashed through the glass in the window, and then stepped up onto the windowsill. It was a far jump to the next house, but he didn't have a choice. He took a deep breath, braced his hands on the sides of the window, shattered glass cutting into his palms, and jumped. His hand barely caught the roof of the house next door and Lilly's arms were jerked of of his neck with the force. She screamed as she began to fall and Dick grabbed for her hand. He missed.

Without a second thought, Dick dove after her, catching her and rolling over just in time for his back to hit the grass. All of the air rushed out of his lungs and he felt some of his ribs snap, his head whipping back and smacking on the ground. He cried out and Lilly screamed.

Dick coughed, his head spinning. Desperately, he curled up around Lilly and rolled to get up, taking off at a dead run across the lawn. He jumped the neighbor's fence, running into the street where fire trucks were already beginning to arrive; a neighbor must have called 911. The Joker's men had left already, but Dick didn't want to take any chances. He knew he didn't have long until he passed out from the concussion, and he stumbled onto a lawn across the street before falling. He wheezed, Lilly sobbing on his chest as his vision blurred and darkened from the edges. Firemen ran towards them from across the street as he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>The pain Dick could handle. His hangover was still pretty bad, there were stitches in the back of his head, four ribs had broken, and his chest hurt every time he breathed. He'd dealt with worse pain than this before. What he couldn't handle, however, was the nurse trying to put an oxygen mask over his face.<p>

"I'm _fine_," Dick snapped, pushing it away from his face and trying to sit up for the third time.

"You shouldn't get up, sir- Mr. Grayson-!" the nurse pulled him back down again, a hand on his chest. "Now you have a concussion pretty bad, so don't get up just yet, we need to check a few things over! I know the medication makes you feel better, but-"

"-I didn't accept any damn medication!" Dick said in exasperation. The nurse glared at him.

"We need to make sure you're all right before you get out of here and start jumping out of windows again, Mr. Grayson."

Dick groaned loudly, and she glared at him again.

"Dick!" Will cried slamming into the room. The nurse started to protest, but Will ignored her as Molly came trailing in after him. "What happened? Are you okay? Lilly? Where's-"

"-Lilly!" Molly cried, seeing her daughter sitting perfectly fine in one of the chairs, clutching her doll as a social worker stood over her shoulder. Molly ran over and pulled her into a hug, crying into Lilly's hair.

"Is she alright?" Will demanded, acknowledging the nurse for the first time.

"She's fine, Sir. Not a scratch on her." The nurse turned back to Dick, and he hissed as she picked up one of his bandaged hands. "Oh don't be such a baby. You wanted to walk out of here, a minute ago."

"I'm fine!" Dick cried again.

"What happened?" Will asked, putting his shaking hands on his face.

"He saved me and Elsa," Lilly piqued. Molly picked her up and carried her over by Will, unwilling to let her go. "See?" she said, giving the doll to her father.

"I see…" Will mumbled.

"You're Mr. Collins?" A fireman stepped through the door. Will nodded.

"What happened?" Molly asked him. He tucked his helmet under his arm and mopped a hand over his face.

"Well someone set it on fire from the outside," he began.

"They were throwing molotov cocktails through the windows," Dick muttered from the bed. "When I tried to get out, they'd blocked the front door and had gunmen at the back."

The fireman nodded. "We arrived on the scene in time to see this young man jump out of the second story window with her on his back. He caught the ledge of your neighbor's house and the girl fell, and he-" the man glanced at Dick- "jumped after her. Fell two stories, but she fell on him, so she's fine. We thought he'd be out cold, honestly, but he got up and ran across the street to safety before passing out." Molly clutched Lilly tighter.

"Thank you," Will breathed, pinching his eyes closed. Dick nodded and then cried out as the nurse bandaged his other hand.

"We got the fire put out," the fireman continued, "but the damage was complete. There isn't much left." Will nodded once as the man left. He held his arms out, and Lilly stretched out to him. "You're okay, right?" He asked her.

"Yes, Daddy," she said, although her eyes were still a little watery. "That one lady said everything would be okay as long as you came back to hug me." She wrapped her little arms around Will's neck in a tight hug. Dick smiled a little and looked down.

"Can I go now?" he said quietly to the nurse, not wanting to interrupt their family moment. The nurse pursed her lips.

"I think so, Mr. Grayson." She smiled. Dick got up and slipped on his shirt, ignoring the stabbing pain in his back where his ribs had broken, and then he stepped out of the room, leaving his jacket wrapped around Lilly's shoulders. He went to the front reception area to fill out his paperwork, and as he finished, Will walked up to him.

"Dick…" Will cleared his throat. "Thank you. If you weren't there… thank you."

"If I wasn't there, I don't think it would have happened, Will." Dick said shortly. "I told you it was a bad idea."

"You have no way of knowing if the Joker knew you'd be there. He could have been going after me again, so I am going to continue being grateful." Will clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. Dick winced and rolled his eyes.

"All the same. I'm going to disappear to the Manor. I think you and Molly need to take a vacation from Gotham for a while. Until I take this bastard down." Dick looked at him seriously, leaning against the reception counter. Will nodded.

"Well it's not exactly like we could go home anyway," Will smiled sadly.

"I'll pay. Just get out of here," Dick sighed and looked down. "If you're safe, that's one less thing for me to worry about." Will nodded.

"I'll let the Commissioner know what happened, but I think he'll agree."

"Good." Dick hugged him gingerly. "Have fun on vacation."

"Be careful, Dick."


	9. I've Taught You Boys Nothing

_**It's time he went home.**_

_**After the Joker's first direct attack nearly got Will's daughter killed, Dick immediately told his partner to leave the city until the Joker was apprehended. He went straight to Wayne Manor as soon as he was released from the hospital, and there he finds Barbara, staying for the night. **_

_**The next day proves to be relaxing; Bruce lets the Batfamily take a break after Dick's two-story fall. They'll need to regroup, but the daylight provides a reprieve from the nighttime lives of the vigilantes. At least for a little while, they can relax.**_

Barbara nearly screamed when a knock on the bathroom door jolted her from her dozing. She gasped and shivered, turning on the hot water to warm up her bath, wondering if she'd actually heard it or if she'd been dreaming it. The gentle knock came again.

"Babs?"

Her heart practically stopped. She turned the water off and sat in silence for a moment.

"Dick?"

"Yeah, it's me. Can I come in?"

Barbara frowned. "Dick, I'm kinda-"

"-I need to talk to you."

She closed her eyes and sighed. Getting out of the tub, she dried off and put a towel around herself, letting her damp hair out of the bun it had been twisted into as she checked her phone. It was nearly midnight. Barbara took a deep breath and then opened the door. Dick stepped aside to let her out of the bathroom.

"What are you doing here?" he asked quietly.

"My apartment flooded. I was going to get a hotel room when Bruce called about you, and then he said I could stay here. I felt like I needed to be closer to Batman and the rest of the team during this mess, and Bruce agreed." _I didn't want to be alone_, Barbara thought. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"The Joker is focused on killing Nightwing. I guess I've been too active in taking him down." Dick shrugged, looking around the guest room. Barbara went into the closet and closed the door behind her to change, and she came out wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a maroon tanktop. She slipped her glasses on. Dick cleared his throat awkwardly and bit his lip. "I think-"

"I don't-"

They both stopped when they talked at the same time, and Dick laughed a little.

"Go ahead," Barbara smiled.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am about last night," Dick looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wasn't ready for that and you tried to tell me- I shouldn't have done it. I should've listened to you. I… don't know what else to say."

"That's just what every girl wants to hear," Barbara muttered, drying her hair with her towel.

"You know you're not every girl, Babs," Dick sighed. Their eyes finally met. Looking at each other now, it all came back. Every touch, every bated breath, every sensation from the night before. Barbara held his gaze for a brief moment.

"But I'm not the right girl, am I? Not anymore." She turned away and set the towel on the desk chair. Dick bit his lip.

"No, I never said that. It was just… too soon. I'm not…"

"Ready, I know." Barbara smiled a little. "It hurt like hell, Dick. But I'd missed you."

"I'd missed you too, Babs," he said quietly. She shook her head.

"No, you miss Harley. She's not here, and I was number two. You miss _her._ I'm sorry for your loss, Dick, and I really wish there was something I could do to help you." Barbara sat on the bed and looked at him. He took a deep breath.

"You said something last night…" Dick trailed off. "Was it true?"

"Dick," she smiled, rolling her eyes. "Last night was a bad situation. You were hurt, I was confused and lost- and there you were. And we took advantage of it, and we shouldn't have."

He nodded slowly. "I really don't deserve you, even as a friend. I didn't think you'd be so-"

"-understanding?" She smiled sadly and stood. "I saw the way you looked at her. It was how you used to look at me, all those years ago, Boy Wonder. She made you happy. That's all I could want for you." Barbara grabbed the collar of his jacket and kissed his cheek.

"But I want you to be happy, too," Dick protested. Barbara looked at him skeptically.

"You're a people pleaser, Dick. I know you, and you'd sacrifice your happiness for mine. Not on my watch. I _am _happy. Now I hate to say it, but it's getting late. You know what happened last time we were up this late together."

Dick shook his head and laughed a little. "Thank you, Babs. Hey… What you said last night… was I really your first since you got over your paralysis?"

"Yeah," she shrugged. "Good night, Boy Wonder," Barbara smiled as she pushed him out the door. When she closed it, she sank to the floor with her head in her hands. She'd said what he'd needed to hear.

Dick turned around in the hallway to see Bruce standing by his bedroom door, an eyebrow raised as he watched Dick. He glanced at Barbara's door, then back at Dick.

"Had a busy night?" Bruce asked quietly.

"_No_." Dick looked at him pointedly, his cheeks flushing a bit.

Bruce nodded. "How are your injuries?"

"I'm fine," Dick relaxed, smiling a little as he began to walk down the hall toward his own room. "Just going to bed. Don't stay up too late, Bruce," he said over his shoulder.

"Goodnight, Dick." Bruce told him. "I'm glad you're here and safe."

Dick shot him a grin. "I'm glad to be here. Night, Bruce." He closed his bedroom door behind him, too tired to do anything but take off the clothes that reeked of smoke and fall into bed in his boxer shorts. He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillows.

* * *

><p>With his head under the blankets, Dick heard his bedroom door open. He kept his eyes closed, too tired to care, until a massive weight landed on him. He cried out in surprise and sat up, Titus tumbling to the floor. Dick looked at Damian standing by the foot of the bed.<p>

"Damian!? What time is it!?" he asked, laying back down and relaxing. Dick winced as the broken ribs in his back jolted painfully.

"Nearly one in the afternoon."

"What are you doing in here?"

"I came here to escape our repulsive guests," he said coolly. Dick thought for a moment.

"So Tim is here, I take it?"

"And Todd."

Dick sat up and stared at him before rolling out of bed. "Good. I'll be right down, I guess. You guys should have told me we'd have guests."

"Father said to let you sleep," Damian waved a hand dismissively as he walked out of the room, his dog trotting alongside him. Dick took a quick shower and then went downstairs. Alfred met him in the foyer.

"Hey, Al. Where is everyone?" Dick asked, smiling.

"Out by the pool," Alfred told him. "I am told it is 'the perfect day'."

"Well then why aren't you out there?!" Dick clapped him on the shoulder, grinning. "Come on, I'm not going if you don't."

"It is good to see you are your usual chipper self, Master Dick," Alfred commented, allowing himself to be led outside. Dick smiled, shielding his eyes from the sunlight.

"Honestly, its a relief to feel that way," he confessed, scanning the grounds as they walked towards the large rectangular swimming pool on a patio at the West end of the lawn. Damian sat in a cushioned beach chair beside a girl with short cropped red hair; Dick could only assume this was Carrie. Damian had mentioned her in the past month. They were looking at his sketchbook together, and Titus was sprawled on the pavement at their feet. Alfred the cat lounged on the back of Damian's chair. Tim let out a whoop as he leapt off of the diving board, aiming for Jason in the water, and they both disappeared under the surface. When they came up, Jason tackled Tim, shoving him back under the water. Barbara lay in a chair across the pool with sunglasses over her eyes, and Bruce and Selina were talking at the edge of the patio.

"Selina, you look fantastic," Dick commented cheerily as he walked to them. She wore a sexy black cutout swimsuit with mirrored cat-eye sunglasses and a wide white sun hat. Dick glanced at Bruce and winked in approval.

"Dick!" Jason yelled. "You've been going after an awful lot of girls recently!"

"Shut up, Jason!" Dick shouted back defensively. "I was just being nice and giving her a compliment!"

"Yeah, and Barbara must already be sunburnt, her face is red," Jason mocked. Dick's jaw tightened angrily, but he didn't respond. Bruce cleared his throat and Tim swam over to Jason.

"Wait, what?" he asked. Selina looked at Dick in surprise, and it was his turn to blush.

"Don't make me bring Cassie into this," Jason warned Tim, splashing him and diverting attention off of Dick. Tim spat water at him. Dick rolled his eyes and turned to Bruce.

"What's this about? Why is everyone here?"

"They're all here to discuss you obviously," Damian told him.

"Yeah," Tim said, "Can I leave for a few days without you causing trouble?"

Dick grinned, although he wasn't sure why. He wasn't exactly certain why he was this happy, either. "Apparently not. You all didn't need to come, though. This should be an easily enough handled thing," Dick said, and then glanced at Carrie. He shot Bruce a look, as if asking _does she know?_

"We can talk about this more later," Bruce said casually. Selina nodded, slipping her hand into Bruce's.

"Of course. And thank you, by the way, for the compliment," she smiled at Dick and stroked his cheek before resting her hand on Bruce's chest. "You're too sweet."

Dick was about to answer when he saw Alfred walking back toward the house. He ran after him and grabbed his arm. "Where are you going? Don't you want to stay out here with the rest of us? I told you I'd leave if you did," he warned, crossing his arms and smiling.

"I appear to be missing my bathing suit," Alfred replied before smiling. "I am simply going to get some lemonade."

"Oh," Dick's arms dropped to his sides. "Okay," he smiled, and then trotted back to the group. He looked down at Jason in the water, and Jason shielded his eyes with his hand to look up at him. Dick sat down by the water's edge, pulling his shoes off. "I hate you, by the way."

"Get in line," Jason smirked, "Ivy has got that covered."

"I've never met a not-couple that are so obviously into each other," Dick mused, and Jason narrowed his eyes. "You're so public about your affection for her," he said sarcastically.

"Maybe I got it from Bruce."

"No, Selina's the one comfortable with the PDA. Bruce is-" Dick was cut off as he glanced at Selina and Bruce, who were standing by the water's edge a ways off. Bruce's arms were around her and their kiss was hidden by Selina's sun hat. "-why do I even bother," Dick mumbled, standing up. He pulled his shirt off and slid into the water in just his shorts. Dark bruises spiderwebbed across his back where he'd broken Lilly's fall. Dick floated back lazily, the water weighing down the fabric of his shorts, but he hadn't cared to go change into a bathing suit. It was calm moments like these, with his family chattering around him, that he felt closest to Harley. He sighed happily, and his attention was drawn by Selina as she cried out.

"Bruce, let's get away from the water, _please_," she laughed nervously, her hands on his chest as she glanced down at the pool. He chuckled and ran a finger across her cheek.

"Is the cat afraid of water?"

She stepped closer to him, away from the edge of the pool. "I can't swim," she breathed, one hand clutched almost desperately around his bicep. Her eyes didn't stray from the water below them.

"Really?" Bruce asked in surprise. "Want me to fix the situation?" He smiled, scooping her into his arms and swinging her over the water. She shrieked, and he brought her back in to his chest, carrying her over to a deck chair as he laughed.

Dick smiled a little. He liked that Selina made Bruce laugh. Swimming over to the other side of the pool, Dick's head popped up over the side.

"Damian. Hey. Damian!" He put his arms up over the edge. "Who's your friend?"

"Hi," Carrie said, "I'm just a friend." She waved at Dick and Tim still in the pool. Dick smiled at Damian, and then looked at Carrie, pushing his wet hair back from his face.

"You know, he won't let any of us see his drawings." Dick's blue eyes shone as Damian scowled at him.

"You must be the one he texts all the time," Tim added, swimming over.

"Drake, no one asked for your input in this conversation," Damian snapped. Carrie couldn't help but laugh at his harsh tone, and she quickly put a hand over her mouth. Dick smiled.

"You're a bit old for him, though," he teased them both.

"Everyone doesn't need to get into a relationship with everyone they meet like you, Richard," Damian sneered. Dick's eyebrows bent down, a little hurt by the comment, but he brushed it away quickly. Instead, he smiled.

"I can't help it. I'm just a nice person. She _is _incredibly cute though, Damian," Dick winked at Carrie and laughed. She smiled and chuckled a bit.

"Lemonade anyone?" Alfred called, proffering a tray. Dick dove backwards into the water and then swam to the other side of the pool, hauling himself up onto the edge. He gratefully took a glass and thanked the butler, taking in the icy drink through the straw. Damian came over and grabbed two glasses for himself and Carrie and promptly left. Dick smiled up at Alfred.

"It's been forever since I've had fresh-squeezed lemonade, Al. This is amazing," he laughed, taking another sip.

"Perhaps if you visited, I would make you some, Sir," Alfred told him. Dick nodded.

"It looks like I may be here awhile," he confessed, setting the lemonade down on the brick beside him. "It could be worse, though."

"Yes," Alfred agreed, "you could be forced to cook for yourself."

Dick stared at him for a moment, and then for the first time in a long time, he burst into laughter. Tim glanced at him curiously and Barbara lifted her sunglasses to look as well. Dick grinned broadly, sincerely, up at Alfred. "That _would _be worse," he chuckled again, shaking his head. "Thanks, Alfred."

"I don't know how you survive," Alfred said smiling.

"Lots of takeout and restaurant food. Microwave meals, oven pizzas; and even they come out burnt," Dick laughed.

"It's a shame. I've taught you boys nothing," Alfred said. Bruce glanced at him as he grabbed a lemonade for Selina. After a second of hesitation, he walked away. Alfred glanced at everyone. "It's nice to see all of you boys so happy. Even Damian and Jason."

"Yeah," Dick agreed, a hand up to shield his eyes as he looked around the pool at everyone. Alfred took Dick's empty glass and went to offer a lemonade to Barbara. Dick chuckled and laid back on the pavement, kicking his legs lazily in the water. He closed his eyes in the sunlight and listened to Jason talking to Tim at the edge of the pool, the water lapping gently against the side; he listened to Alfred asking Barbara about her father, and to Selina and Bruce laughing softly. Dick turned his head a bit to look at them. Selina sat beside Bruce on the foot of a deck lounge chair, one of her slender hands resting on his leg and their heads bent together. Bruce said something quietly, and Selina laughed. He kissed her gently, and Dick closed his eyes again. Titus barked on the other side of the pool, and Carrie laughed. He could hear Damian talking. Sighing happily, Dick drank in the sunlight and the comforting sounds of his family around him. He smiled a little.

_It's a nice day, isn't it, Harley?_


	10. I Hope You Will

_**Night has fallen.**_

_**It's not like Bruce to give the boys this much breathing room for this long, and Dick soon finds out why. He isn't the only one with guilt weighing on his shoulders. Bruce gave the boys a rare day off, continuing into the evening.**_

_**After a heartfelt talk and spending time with his brothers by the fireplace, Dick is troubled by a call from Commissioner Gordon. Nothing good can last forever, but, as he sets off into the night; Dick had at least hoped that it could last a day. **_

Dick walked past the merry sounds of laughter and conversation wafting with the scent of the fireplace from the slightly ajar parlor doors. It had begun to rain while they sat by the swimming pool, a pleasant summer downpour that Dick could hear on the walls as he walked through the house. He instead turned down a separate hallway, passed the library, and then stepped into the study.

"Bruce?"

"Dick?" The only light in the room came from the lamp on the broad oak desk at the far end of the room. Bruce stood from his chair and Dick stepped into the light, smiling a little.

"Yeah, it's me. I didn't interrupt you from anything did I?" he asked tentatively.

"No of course not. I was just looking over some of the Wayne Enterprises books… do you need something?" Bruce said quietly, pressing his fingertips to the surface of his desk as he leaned forward. His voice was deep and relaxed.

"Selina. She told me you wanted to talk to me?" Dick sat down in one of the soft leather armchairs in front of the desk. Bruce looked down and ran a hand through his hair.

_Selina, dammit…_ he sighed deeply. "I suppose I do."

Dick watched him as he walked around the front of his desk, sitting on the arm of the other chair. Dick had always envied how elegant Bruce looked, no matter what he did. Even now, dressed in a fitted black turtleneck rolled up at the sleeves and crisply pleated gray slacks, Bruce looked classic and a bit intimidating. Waiting for him to start speaking, Dick cleared his throat.

"I'm glad to see you're healing up fine," Bruce said stiffly, gesturing at Dick's wounds. He smiled and looked down at his hands.

"Yeah. It's just the ribs bothering me, now, but I can handle it," Dick said.

"You'll have to be more careful out there now, Dick." Bruce crossed his arms over his chest.

"I know." Dick nodded.

"From the diner incident and what I've heard from the police… he knows who you are doesn't he?"

Dick looked down. "Yeah, it looks that way. I'm sorry, Bruce, you warned me against this."

Bruce sighed. "Looking back on the situation, I think the complexity took us all by surprise. There is no way any of us could have foreseen _this_. And despite what I thought of Harley, I don't believe she ever truly betrayed you. So I guess I am the one who should be sorry for everything I said to you."

Blinking in surprise, Dick stared up at him. "You're- what? That's… okay, that's not what I was expecting. Um, Bruce," he began, rubbing his hands on his jeans. "I know you just meant well. You didn't want to see me get hurt, and I appreciate that. Thank you for it, even."

"But you were right," Bruce said firmly, as if determined to get his point across. "I wasn't treating you fairly or as my son; only a soldier. You have the right to do and feel what you want, and you have the right to get hurt, no matter how much I want to protect you from it. Hell, even now, Jason and Poison Ivy… I want to scream at that kid to get his head straight. What _is _it with you boys? Still, I'm learning from my mistakes. Maybe whatever it is needs to be your problem and your problem alone. I shouldn't interfere."

"Yeah, I don't know about that relationship…" Dick looked down. "Well it didn't help that I acted like an ass about your interference. Even now, I'm sorry I've been so distant this month. That wasn't your fault, or anyone's; I just didn't know how to face you all. I mean… I deserve a huge 'I told you so'."

"Dick," Bruce said with a sad smile. "If there is anyone who understands what you are going through this month, it is this family." Bruce clutched Dick by the shoulder. "Losing someone you love isn't easy; I know. But how you choose to let it change you, is up to you. I wish I could say I did the right thing, but I hope you will."

"Thank you, Bruce." Dick smiled and stood, hugging him tight. After a long second, Bruce wrapped his arms around Dick.

"It's nothing, just something that should have been said a long time ago."

"Hey, guys," Barbara smiled from the doorway. "We are making s'mores in here. Want to come join us?" Bruce nodded to Barbara before taking a step back from Dick.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked gently. Dick smiled and nodded.

"You don't have to worry about me," he said, and he and Bruce were led back to the parlor with Barbara. When they stepped in the door they saw that most of the furniture had been shoved to the side, save for the chairs and backs of sofas that had been left to support the elaborate blanket fort that had been built in the center of the room. Jason and Tim appeared from a flap closest to the door.

"Look, Dick!" Tim exclaimed proudly. Selina, Carrie, and Alfred sat beside the fireplace, roasting marshmallows.

"I'm impressed," Bruce commented drily. "You got a lot done."

"Isn't it awesome!?" Jason cried, grinning. Dick dove into the tent flap as Selina stood and walked over to Bruce, shoving a marshmallow in his mouth.

"It was Damian's idea," she said quietly, leaning against his shoulder and smiling. "Of course he tried to make it sound like he meant it sarcastically, but Jason saw right through him."

"Stop lying Selina!" Damian cried, and Dick found him in a cocoon of blankets, sketchbook and pencil in hand. Dick flopped down beside him.

"Can I please see what you're drawing now?" he smiled hopefully.

"No, Richard," Damian snapped, closing the sketchbook.

"_Please_!?" Dick whined, making a grab for it. Damian smacked him on the forehead with it.

"No."

"Fine," he pouted, crawling out of the opening to the fireplace. He squeezed in between Barbara and Alfred, grabbing a marshmallow and a poker.

"Master Richard," Alfred scolded, "if you ask, things will be handed to you."

"They were right there!" he protested, but he was smiling despite it. He shoved the marshmallow into the fire, burning it to a crisp, and then smacked it onto a graham cracker with two pieces of chocolate on either side. He reached back into the tent. "Damian!"

"Thank you," he felt it leave his hand as the boy took it.

Dick looked at Alfred. "May I have another marshmallow, please?"

"Certainly." Alfred handed him the bag. Dick smiled.

"And did you bring the-" he stopped midsentence as Alfred wordlessly passed him the peanut butter. "-what would I do without you?"

"I haven't the faintest idea, Sir."

Dick chuckled and glanced over his shoulder into the tent at Jason. "You want one?"

"I'm good!" Jason called. Dick smiled, handing the melty s'more he just made to Barbara.

"It's been forever since we've done something like this." He turned a bit. "Tim, you want one?"

"Nah, I've already had, like eight," he shrugged, rolling himself in a blanket like a burrito. Dick smeared peanut butter on a graham cracker and pressed the chocolate into it, and then added the marshmallow. He held it up to Bruce. Bruce grabbed it and took a bite, joining Selina where she was lounging against a couch cushion. Carrie watched Dick intently, her arms wrapped around her knees. He glanced at her.

"Do you want one?" he smiled politely. She shook her head, still watching him carefully. Dick ignored her. Half of the fort toppled down on where Tim was wrapped in his blanket as Jason yelled.

"Damian what the hell!?"

"Don't blame me! _You _fell into that chair and pushed it out!" he protested angrily.

"God! Stop being so evil," Jason snapped, clearing blankets off of himself and piling more on Tim\.

"Stop being so obnoxious!" Damian retorted, his voice coming from his still standing corner of the tent.

"Dick, can you show me to the bathroom?" Carrie asked suddenly. He shrugged, wiping his hands on his jeans and standing.

"Sure. Come on," he smiled, and she followed him out of the parlor. He pointed down a hallway. "It's the last one on the-" Dick stopped when Carrie grabbed his arm, and handed him his cell phone. "Why did you-?"

"-while we were building the tent I found it ringing in the couch," she swallowed hard. "Um, that Commissioner guy called you, he said he needed to see you right away. Emergency." Carrie handed him his phone and he slipped it into his pocket. "He said it had something to do with some girl named Joan."

"Okay," Dick looked at her in concern. "Are you okay? You seem jumpy."

"I'm fine. That guy just sounded really scared, you should go." She said quietly. Dick nodded.

"Thank you, Carrie." With a glance back at the parlor doors, he turned and left the Manor. _What could the Commissioner have to talk to me about Joan?_

It was dark by the time Dick had driven all the way across Gotham. The parking lot of the station was silent as soon as he killed the engine of his motorcycle. He took off his helmet and ran a hand through his hair, hurrying into the station. The officer at the front desk was asleep. Dick rolled his eyes and walked past him, through the rows of empty desks, and as he walked past the stairs to the holding cells he could see another officer slumped in a chair with a book in his hands. Usually there were more men here, but it was a weekend in Gotham. They needed cops on the streets.

Dick gripped the brass knob of the Commissioner's office door, the blinds drawn over all of the windows, and he stepped in.

"Why did you want to see me? What's the-" he halted in his sentence when he realized that no one was in the office. "Jim? Commissioner Gor-"

"-Stop me if you've heard this one."

Dick gasped and turned around, grabbing the lamp off of the desk and swinging it full force. The Joker caught it and kicked him in the stomach, and then shoved him into the desk, laughing. He grabbed Dick's throat with one hand and with the other pressed a needle into his neck, Dick tried to cry out but the Joker's hand was cutting off his air flow.

"A client of a hospital where they made brain transplantations asked about the prices," the Joker hissed, his face grinning horribly above Dick's. He slipped the needle back into his pocket, pressing Dick back onto the desk. When his hand loosened around Dick's throat, he couldn't scream. It felt like he was sinking in a swimming pool, his limbs heavy and buoyant at the same time. He couldn't move. Numbness crept up his fingers as he looked at the Joker in horror. "The doctor says, 'Well, this Ph.D. brain costs $10,000. This brain belonged to a NASA top scientist and costs $15,000. Here we have a policeman's brain as well. It costs $50,000'." The Joker let out a wheezing cackle, grinning where he bent over Dick, his hands still clasped over his throat, just enough to hold him down. He continued. "The client is confused by this. So he goes: 'What? How's that possible?' and the doctor replies: 'You see… it's totally unused'!"

Dick looked on in terror as Joker threw his head back, laughing wildly. Something was incredibly wrong. The man's green hair hung in limp curls flying askew around his forehead, where dark makeup encircled his livid green eyes. The white paint streaked down his face, and the scarlet lipstick was smeared halfway up his cheek in a terrible grin. The cuffs of his frayed violet coat were splattered with blood, and he'd abandoned the usually neatly tied ribbon around his neck; it hung loosely down his chest from his unbuttoned collar.

The numbness had reached his chest now, and the weight on his lungs caused him to gasp for breath. Dick couldn't move anything but his eyes as the Joker's laughter tapered off. "That was a good one, eh, boy? It isn't a party until the cops show up."

Joker grabbed Dick by the collar and dragged him out of the office. Dick could feel the pain from his broken ribs in his back, but he couldn't cry out. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fight back, and desperation and panic took control of him as he felt himself black out.


	11. All Jokes Aside

_**Death is only the beginning.**_

_**Harley's murder was just another added to the long list of crimes that the Joker had committed, but it was by far one of the worst. He hadn't realized just how much she meant to him. Still, it was a necessary evil. **_

_**The problem is, Nightwing hasn't forgotten. He continued to come after the Joker. Something had to be done; it would be a distraction from the plan, but a necessary evil, nonetheless. Dick Grayson has to die.**_

"Did that one wake you up? No?"

Dick groaned a little, and he heard a gasp.

"Oh! I think he's coming to! Maybe this-"

Dick screamed as a searing pain erupted in his arm. The Joker let out a whoop of success.

"There we go! Perfect. Good morning!" Joker said merrily as he turned his head to the side, looking at Dick below him. Dick's head jerked up and he looked around the room, his head spinning. It was lit by what little sunlight could seep through the dirty windows, so streaked with rust and dirt that he could hardly make out the shapes outside them. The dark concrete walls were stained with the same orange and black streaks, and the room was incredibly hot.

Dick's arms were above him, handcuffed to pipes protruding from the wall a few feet below the low ceiling. He could feel his blood seeping from the metal clamped tightly around his wrists. His arms above his head only allowed him to slump on his knees on the floor. The Joker stood before him, the sleeves of his gold colored shirt rolled up, his waistcoat unbuttoned. He grinned, and it would have been a pleasant smile, had it not been for the ghoulish makeup distorting his features.

Dick's throat was burning. He had no idea what time it was, but it had to be at least midday. _Or is it? Have I been out that long?_ Dick thought, unable to keep a cry of pain from escaping his lips as the Joker grabbed his wrist, the handcuff biting into his skin, and leaned down to look at him.

"If you're going to kill me, that's not going to work out for you," Dick hissed. The Joker laughed.

"Of course not. Why would I kill you right away? Where's the fun in that?"

"And you're all about fun, aren't you?" Dick looked up at him, doing his best to look menacing despite the ringing in his ears and the sick feeling in his stomach.

"Of course! I just want everyone to be happy. I want everyone to _smile._ But…" The Joker stood and turned around, closing his eyes. He didn't let Dick see the look of sadness that crossed his features. "I learned something years ago; not everyone can have a happy ending."

That's when Dick saw someone slumped on the other side of the room in the dirt.

Someone wearing a Harley Quinn costume.

His stomach knotted as he stared at her, unable to move. The Joker smiled darkly at Dick over his shoulder.

"You would know, you've ruined plenty of happy endings. I took away the last chance at my own so you couldn't have yours." The Joker suddenly whipped Dick across the face with a piece of metal piping. He cried out, his head snapping to the side and yanking painfully on the cuffs cutting into his wrists. The Joker grabbed his face, the pain from the blow intensifying. He looked Dick straight in the eyes.

"Do you miss her?! Does your heart ache for her?" Joker hissed, grinning. "I don't-" he suddenly halted and tilted his head, as if listening to something. "-shut _up_, Harley, Daddy is trying to _work._" He drew back his hands and swung the piping like a baseball bat into Dick's stomach. Dick choked on his own scream and coughed, seeing stars from the pain. Another horrible cackle rose from the Joker's lips.

"What did you do to her?!" Dick spat, his teeth clenched against the pain. He couldn't move his hands to pick the lock on the handcuffs, they were wound so tightly around his wrists. He didn't have anything he could do it with, anyway. He didn't take his eyes off of the crumpled figure in the corner.

"Her?! God, no. I would never desecrate my dear Harley's grave. But I needed some incentive to get you out here, now, didn't I?"

Joker's Italian leather shoes clicked as he walked across the floor, grabbing the hood of the corpse and lifting it's head.

Joan's pale face was painted with the same ghastly smile that streaked onto the Joker's cheeks. Dick had to look away to keep from vomiting.

"What the hell is _wrong _with you," he hissed, squeezing his eyes shut tight. Joker held her by the harlequin hood on her head and dragged her toward Dick. He grabbed his face as he dumped the body by Dick's feet.

"_She _didn't get a happy ending. _She _can't smile anymore." The Joker laughed, forcing Dick to look at Joan's crumpled corpse on the concrete. Dick squeezed his eyes shut tight.

Releasing him, Joker cackled merrily.

"Pulling her up was more fun, really. And I knew when that little brat Kelley told you there was something wrong with her, you'd come running. And now here we are, together at last." Joker grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him up, making Dick look at him.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't even _know _why I want to kill you. Maybe it's because you've been interfering even more than the meddlesome _Batman. _Maybe it's because he cares about you and what _better _way to call out your nemesis than with the slaughter of a dove- his precious _Nightwing_? Or maybe it's because you… destroyed…" he looked like he was making an actual effort to remain calm. "Everything that I'd worked toward last month. You and _Harley_," he sneered.

"You're not fit to say her name," Dick spat, glaring up at him furiously. "You _murdered _her!"

"I did what I had to," Joker sniffed. "Though I mourn her loss, it was a necessary evil."

"You son of a bitch," Dick hissed. Joker rolled his eyes.

"Don't be so melodramatic, bird boy." He knelt in front of Dick. "Do you know what I'm going to do now?"

Dick said nothing.

"All jokes aside, I'm going to torture you. And then I'm going to blow you up like your brother, except _this _time, there won't be any left to revive." When Dick still didn't respond, Joker straightened up, pulling his gloves out of his pocket and tugging them on, a laugh rising in his throat. "Let's get started."

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Red Robin called, pulling his motorcycle to a stop. "Any news?" He pulled his helmet off and hurried over to where Batman and Robin were by the computer banks.<p>

"Nothing yet," Robin said. There was none of the usual anger or sarcasm in his voice, and he looked worried but he tried to hide it.

"I got nothing. Did Jason get anything from any of his criminal friends?"

"No," Red Hood said quietly, standing off to the side. "No one even saw the Joker tonight. He's been unusually quiet."

"And Richard left the mansion of his own accord," Robin added. Batman ignored them.  
>"Barbara," he barked into the comm. "Do you have the locations I asked for?"<p>

Batman fell silent as Barbara began relaying the street numbers and addresses to him. Robin glanced over his shoulder. Each one was added as a dot to the map on the computer screen. A symbol formed.

"It's the Bat symbol," Batman hissed.

"Where is he!?" Robin demanded. Red Hood looked at the screen carefully.

"It's an apartment complex," he said slowly. "In a deserted neighborhood, that's where I grew up. Odd…"

"Let's go get him!" Robin shouted, running toward the Batmobile.

The lights through the windows were fading. The Joker had left him alone for the moment, and he dreaded the man's return. Through his hazy vision in the dim light, Dick could see blood on the floor, which he groggily realized was his own. He slumped against the wall. He'd lost feeling in his hands over an hour ago, and he leaned heavily on the handcuffs. The door creaked open.

"Honey, I'm home!" Joker cackled.

Dick didn't move, his head hanging down in front of his chest.

"Did you two have a nice little chat while I was gone?" He giggled and kicked Joan's body out of his way.

"Leave her alone." Dick whispered.

"Leave her-?" the Joker laughed hysterically. "My dear boy, maybe the torture has gone to your head, but honey- she's _dead_. That was the whole point of this!" he shook his head, chuckling.

Dick's breath rasped past his lips and he winced, spitting blood onto the floor.

"Don't be like that, son. We're having fun, aren't we?" When Dick didn't respond, the Joker grabbed his hair and yanked his head up to look at him. "Aren't we," he hissed, and Dick spat blood in his face. Joker laughed. "Acting like an impetuous child won't get you out of this next part."

"How far out are you?!" Barbara demanded, linked to their comms.

"Robin and I are about a mile. Red Hood is about the same, and Red Robin is almost there," Batman said sharply.

"I'm on the street now," Red Robin said into the comm.

Images flashed in Batman's mind. Racing, blinding speed fueled by panic, a warehouse in the snow; an explosion throwing him backward.

"Stop!" he barked. "Red Robin, wait for the rest of us to arrive!"

"But Batman-"

"NO. Those are my orders! Wait!"

"I'm waiting," Red Robin said quietly, halting in his tracks. They could all hear the edge in Batman's voice. Red Robin could see the apartment complex just ahead. Windows were broken out of the top floors, and the street was deserted.

"What is our plan when we get there?" Robin asked quietly.

"Be wary, and find him. He is top priority."

"What about the Joker?" Red Robin asked.

"If his escape means we save Dick, then so be it," Batman hissed. Robin looked at him worriedly.

"We should go after him, Batman," Red Hood said angrily. "He's our only chance if Dick isn't there, or if he's already…"

"Don't finish that sentence, Jason!" Batman shouted as the Batmobile screeched to a stop on the empty street.

* * *

><p>Dick tried to cry out, but he couldn't anymore. His throat was on fire, and the sound wouldn't come out. The Joker sighed, dropping the bloodied knife on the ground again, drawing the silver dagger that he'd stabbed Harley with from his coat.<p>

"This all could have been avoided," he grinned. "Consider this 'revenge'. I wouldn't ever say something so petty, but… Harley _was _mine. Now, You've bled out a lot as it is. That's not my fault, if you wouldn't get so excited, you wouldn't bleed as fast." Joker shrugged. "Ah, well."

Joker raised the dagger, grinning cruelly, and he plunged it into Dick's shoulder. He screamed, slammed back against the wall as the knife sank into the brick and pain exploded across his chest. The Joker cackled madly and twisted the blade, causing him to scream again, louder. He breathed hard. Dick didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. He felt the blood begin to pour from his shoulder, but it felt slower than it was. Everything around him had begun to move in half-time. His eyes fluttered.

"Dick!?" Batman's voice rang out through the building and the Joker cursed, his face twisting in fury.

"You little-" he relaxed and smiled. "Heh. It would be too easy to slit your throat now, but I'm late for a meeting. Don't worry. You won't leave here alive. Goodbye, Boy Wonder," the Joker hissed. Dick howled in pain as the poison began to spread; his back arched and he tried to tear his arm away from where it was pinned against the wall. The Joker grinned once more and then disappeared through the door.

Panting, Dick struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Batman!" his voice was hoarse as he tried to signal him, but the sound barely carried across the room. Dick suddenly screamed as another wave of searing pain spiderwebbed down his arm and across his chest from his shoulder. He could hear the poison hissing in his skin, and he yanked against the handcuffs harder, fighting his fatigue.

"Dick!" Batman bellowed, bursting into the room. Dick's head rolled up weakly.

"P-poison…" he mumbled breathlessly. Batman yanked the knife out of his shoulder and threw it to the side.

Robin launched into the room and skidded to a stop, a hand flying over his mouth. Red Robin and Red Hood skidded to a stop behind him, and he ran forward.

"Pick those locks," Batman commanded as he pulled out a needle filled with an antidote. Dick's eyes closed weakly. He blinked them open again, and he saw her. Harley was there. She stared at him in horror, and Dick knew she was disappointed in him for giving up; he didn't care. She was there, and he would get to be with her.

"Bruce- I'm sorry…" he rasped, his chin sinking to his chest. Batman carefully injected him with a universal antidote and then poured some over the poisoned wound for good measure, dropping the vial and grabbing Dick's face.

"Dick! Wake up, come on…"

"I don't feel a pulse!" Robin whimpered, loosening one handcuff. It clicked open and Dick fell back against the wall, eyes closed, lips parted slightly. Red Hood and Red Robin watched in terror as Batman tried to revive him.

Red Robin's eyes glanced over the dead woman lying against the wall beside Dick, her lips pulled up in a gruesome smile and held there with fishing hooks. He couldn't even look at Dick. How much blood surrounded his brother and the wounds on his skin didn't even begin to unsettle Red Robin as much as the Joker makeup on Dick's face did.

Robin dropped to his knees and applied pressure to the wound in Dick's shoulder. Batman pounded on Dick's chest, and he suddenly gasped, all of the pain coming back to him at once. He screamed and Robin scrambled back from him, alarmed, crashing into Joan's body. He shouted in terror and scrambled away, running behind Red Robin's cape. Dick let out another moan of pain, his whole body trembling.

"We need to get him to a hospital," Batman snapped, applying pressure to Dick's wound. He ignored Dick's cries of pain as he wrapped a bandage tightly around the stab wound to restrict blood flow. As he was doing that, Red Robin leaned over Dick, and using his cape, wiped off the make up as best he could.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, drowned out by Dick's groans. Batman picked him up.

"Father?" Robin said quietly.

"Not now, Damian-" Batman said hurriedly, walking to the door. Robin and Red Hood were still rooted to the spot.

"Father!" Robin cried.

"What?" Batman demanded, turning to look at them.

"What about her?" Robin said quietly again, pointing at the corpse in the corner. Batman sighed.

"We'll have to leave her. Call the police and let them know."

"B-Bruce-" Dick gasped, his eyelids drooping again, his head against Batman's shoulder.

"Just hold on Dick," Batman cried as he half ran to the Batmobile. "Red Robin, take Robin and all of you, go back to the Batcave now!"

"But-" Red Hood began.

"-_Orders_!" Batman shouted as the door closed and the Batmobile tore down the street.

"Bruce..." Dick whispered weakly, unable to hold his head up from his shoulder.

"You're going to be okay," Batman said, accelerating through a turn.

"Bruce… s'okay… I'll be wit' Harley…" he breathed, closing his eyes.

"No Dick! Don't!" Batman snapped, glancing at Dick in alarm. He fell silent and still, but he seemed to be breathing yet. When Batman roared into the emergency entrance of Gotham Central Hospital, he leapt out and grabbed Dick, carrying him through the sliding glass doors. A woman screamed when she saw him holding Dick's bloodied figure in his arms, and the nurse at the reception desk frantically called for help. "Just hold on, Dick, please…"

"We'll take him-" chaos ensued as the doctors rushed Dick away. Batman began to follow, and a nurse stopped him.

"I'm sorry, Batman, you can't follow," she said hesitantly. "Only family would be… can you tell me who he is? What happened?"

"His name is Richard Grayson," Batman said quietly. "The Joker tried to murder him."


	12. They Aren't You

_**Twenty-four hours.**_

_**Dick Grayson was missing- in the hands of the Joker- for over twenty-four hours. Not long, just a day; but by Batman's calculations, he should have been dead. He nearly was. Nightwing's family arrived just in time to save his life, but the Joker slipped away. Again.**_

_**Safe again at last, Dick discovers the extent of his injuries inflicted by the Joker, none of which are as painful as the idea of his attacker still at large. His hallucinations escalate, and he attempts to remain positive, as the people around him are holding on by threads.**_

"Dick," someone whispered. He could almost recognize the voice and muttered to himself. "Dick." The voice was more insistent this time. Dick's eyes flew open as he recognized it. Harley smiled down at him in relief. "Thank God you're alright."

"Harley?" he mumbled, blinking back his drowsiness.

"Don't ever do that again," she scolded him. A door clicked open, causing Dick to jump in surprise and glance over at the entering nurse. When he glanced back, there was no one else in the room.

"You're awake," the nurse said, startled. "How are you feeling?" she asked, walking over. "Any nausea? Headaches?" She shined a small light between his eyes.

"My head hurts like hell," he croaked, the sleep still weighing on him.

"You're pretty beat up, and you lost a lot of blood." The nurse nodded slowly. "The morphine should help, but you may feel drowsy," she said, checking his IV drip.

"What happened?" he rasped, closing his tired eyes against the light.

"Batman brought you here," she said. "The hospital," she clarified just in case he didn't know. "Do you remember anything?" The nurse pulled out his chart. Dick inhaled shakily.

"I remember…" he cleared his throat. "Yeah. I remember a lot of it. It's fuzzy, but coming back…" he shuddered, feeling his stomach knot.

The nurse nodded. "We've contacted your family, so they should be here." She flipped the chart closed and smiled at him. "And from what I understand you are law enforcement, so that part shouldn't come as a shock."

"Yeah, I know," Dick mumbled, feeling incredibly tired. The soft pillow was inviting, and the warmth of the blankets over him only intensified his drowsiness.

"Would you like me to tell them to wait?" The nurse smiled. "Visiting hours are technically over."

"No, no. I wanna see them… if nothing else, I'll feel better with them here," he breathed, fighting the urge to drift off.

"I'll let them know when they get here." She checked his IV one last time before leaving.

Dick closed his eyes and listened to the almost silent hum of the machines. He couldn't explain how relieved and safe he felt to be somewhere, _anywhere_, but in that room with the Joker. He didn't really know the extent of the damage. Dick remembered being stabbed, beaten, cut, burned; but he didn't know how _much_, and he guessed he wouldn't until he was released and until the pain kicked in. Right now his entire body felt warm and numb and relaxed.

The door cracked open, and Bruce looked in. He sighed in relief when he saw Dick. He closed the door behind him and sat in the chair next to Dick's bed. "How are you feeling?"

Dick opened his eyes slowly. He smiled, despite the bruising and swelling in his cheeks. "I feel like I could run a marathon," he said hoarsely.

"So the pain killers are working," Bruce chuckled.

"I hope so," Dick mumbled. "You're paying for them." He winced as pain shot from his shoulder, but ebbed away quickly and he relaxed again.

"More than happy to be." Bruce ran a hand through his hair. Dick watched him, his eyelids drooping over his pale eyes.

"You okay, Bruce?"

"Yes," Bruce smiled weakly. "Just don't do that to me again."

Dick let out a short, breathy laugh. "Nightwing can't make any promises," he croaked, turning his head to look up and closing his eyes.

"Dick," Bruce whispered. "We lost you. For a minute, you were gone, and I…" Bruce trailed off, taking a deep breath. Dick looked at him.

"You what, Bruce?"

"I don't know what I would have done." Bruce hung his head.

"You would have been as resilient as ever. You would've had Jay and Tim and Dam, Alfred, Selina… It would have been ok." Dick broke off into a coughing fit, and then groaned in pain. "Okay, _that_ one I felt…"

"You should relax," Bruce said standing up. "You need to rest."

"No!" Dick cried, reaching for his hand. He hesitated, wincing, and then pulled it back. "I mean… sorry. You probably have things to do at the Batcave…" he trailed off, looking down.

"No," Bruce said with a sad smile. "But if you don't feel like resting, I'm afraid you are going to be put through a parade of visitors. I suggest sleeping."

"I will," he said urgently. "Just… don't leave me alone. Please stay." Dick pleaded with him, his drowsiness washing over him like a tidal wave. Bruce nodded slowly, sitting down. Dick grabbed his hand, not caring whether or not he seemed childish. He couldn't help but feel the terror nagging at the back of his mind that the Joker might come to finish his work.

"Everything is going to be alright," Bruce told him, watching to make sure Dick relaxed. "And I would not have been okay," he whispered. "I love each of them in turn, but they aren't you, Dick."

He didn't respond, already slipping off to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Master Todd, Master Damian- come now, that is <em>hardly <em>appropriate-" Alfred tried to stop their bickering before it escalated into a shouting match in the hospital waiting room. He didn't know what they'd begun fighting about, he just knew that when Tim had woken him from his dozing, they were hovering on the edge of a full blown argument. "Boys!" Alfred suddenly snapped loudly. Jason and Damian stopped arguing and looked at him in surprise. Tim had jumped when he snapped. "You both stop this at _once_! I don't _care _about what you're arguing over, but I'm quite sure it's insignificant and petty." Damian raised his eyebrows. Jason looked down, hiding a smirk. "It is nearing two in the morning, there are people here trying to sleep, and I suggest you do the same until we are allowed in to see Dick!" he finished, glaring at them both. Damian pulled the hood of his jacket up and Jason curled up in his chair, pulling his knees to his chest, but both boys were silent and that was all that Alfred cared about.

Tim rested his chin in his hands, his eyelids drooping a bit, thinking about their blanket fort at home. Barbara dozed on Alfred's shoulder.

"I will still get you for that, Todd," Damian hissed.

"Oh come on, Damian," Tim mumbled. "Put a sock in it, would you? We're here for Dick. Not everything has to be about you."

"And we know everything to Tim is about Dick," Jason smirked.

"As it should be!" Tim suddenly shouted, shooting up from his chair. He glared at Jason. "Do you know how much he's sacrificed for us?! Do you know exactly how much he takes care of us!? He _died_. And you want to make fun of me for giving a crap about that, fine, but don't make it sound like _you _don't care about him. Don't act like this is no big deal! Both of you are acting like assholes! Did you see what the Joker _did _to him?! How can you ridicule me for giving a shit about that!?"

"Jeez Tim, relax," Jason placated, surprised by Tim's outburst. "I can't speak for the little demon, but we both care. Asshole is just my natural state."

"As if we weren't all aware of that," Barbara muttered from Alfred's shoulder. "You could give it a rest, though."

"I'm sorry if I thought Dick would want us to act as normal as possible," Jason snapped, flopping across two seats and throwing an arm over his eyes.

"Well we're not with him right now, so just drop the whole 'I'm-cool-and-aloof" act." Barbara hissed. She nodded towards Damian, who had pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, his hooded head resting on his knee. His shoulders shook slightly. "For our sake, Jason, just shut up."

"I see you are all still fighting," Selina said, walking toward them from the entrance. Despite the relief in her voice at seeing them all, her eyes still looked slightly worried.

"Miss Kyle, glad you could join us," Alfred welcomed her, inclining his head slightly.

"Is Bruce with him?" she asked.

"Yes," Alfred said as Barbara and Tim mumbled affirmatives as well. She turned and headed toward Dick's room. Damian and Tim exchanged looks before jumping up from their seats. Jason pulled his arm away when Damian hit his leg; seeing them scamper away, he fell out of his chair in a hurry to follow.

"Bruce?" Selina whispered as she cracked open Dick's door, the three boys piled up behind her. They couldn't hear a response, but Selina went into the room. They slunk in after her, glancing around. She went over and sat on the arm of the chair Bruce was in, draping herself over his slumped shoulders. Bruce was leaned forward across the lamp, the only source of light, his hand holding Dick's.

The dark purple bruises on the left side of his face were the only indication something was wrong. His face was relaxed and peaceful as he slept, mouth slightly open. The blanket was pulled nearly up to his shoulders; his free hand was resting on the bed beside him.

Bruce glanced up at Selina then over at where Tim, Damian, and Jason stood frozen in the doorway. "He is going to be alright," Bruce whispered. Jason nodded as Damian glared hatefully at the ground and Tim stared at Dick, swallowing hard. "Come in, just don't wake him," Bruce warned.

Tim went and stood on Dick's other side, his hand clenching around Dick's blanket. Damian perched on the foot of the bed, his chin resting on his knees as he carefully watched Dick. Bruce flinched at the quiet squeaking of the wheels as Jason rolled the other empty hospital bed over by Tim. He and Tim climbed onto it, inches from Dick' bed. Jason sat crosslegged across the pillow as Tim curled into a ball at the other end. Bruce glanced at them all, his free hand reaching for Selina's.

She took it, running her other hand soothingly across his wide shoulders. Selina glanced at everyone's exhausted expressions as the machines quietly hummed in the background. She let out her pent up breath, relieved that all of her little birds were alright.


	13. Nothing I Can Do

_**The human body is fragile. **_

_**Batman, Nightwing, Red Robin, Red Hood, Robin; they all knew this going in. They knew that injuries were part of the job, that romance was hardly a likelihood in this line of work; they knew that one day, the job would kill them. **_

_**Batman had just always assumed that he would go first. And before he did, he'd at least hoped that he'd help his sons out of the vigilante game. He never dreamed that one of them would go first. And now, when all seems to be hopeless for Dick Grayson, hope is found in the most unlikely of places. But at what cost?**_

"Everyone needs to go home and get some sleep, _including_ you," Selina hissed at Bruce. His arm was wrapped around her waist to hold her in place on his lap, but his hand balled into a fist as his chin jutted out angrily.

"I am not leaving him," he whispered furiously.

"Look at them," she snapped quietly, her hand waving at the sleeping figures. Dick's head had rolled to the side, his hand still clutched in Bruce's. Damian had curled into a ball at the edge of his bed with his head hidden in his hood. Jason's feet were on the pillow of his bed, his head resting on Tim's legs while Tim's head lolled over the edge. "They need to go home and get some real rest."

"Do you want to tell them that they can't be here when Dick wakes up?" he demanded in a low growl.

"Mmm 'wake," Dick mumbled from the bed, turning his head a bit to look at them. His light eyes were reddened, and the left was swollen shut. He smiled a little. "Hi, Selina."

"It's good to see you awake," she told him in a breathy whisper, her eyes a bit watery. Dick closed his eyes again and cleared his throat.

"What's it take to get some food here?" he winced and stretched his legs under the covers, accidentally kicking Damian where he was curled up on the bed. Dick sat up a bit as Damian cried out, his head popping up and his blue eyes blinking sleepily. Dick smiled. "C'mere, Damian." The boy glanced self-consciously at Tim and Jason snoring on the other bed, and then he crawled toward Dick, curling up again under his arm. Dick winced as Damian's head rested on his shoulder, but he pulled him close.

"If you ever die again, Richard," Damian hissed, "I will bring you back to kill you myself." He buried his face in Dick's shoulder.

"I love you too, Damian," Dick said hoarsely. He squeezed Bruce's hand and looked at him. "What time is it?"

"Little past ten in the morning," Bruce said quietly.

"When can I go home?" Dick asked.

"Alfred is taking to the medical staff now," Bruce told him, glancing at the door. Dick shook his head a bit, trying to stay awake.

"What's the damage, Bruce?" Dick asked quietly.

"The Joker cut open all your old scars. Every wound you sustained in the past, he traced over them. Not to mention the bruising and broken ribs, concussion…" Bruce looked down.

"...So I'll be walking when, tomorrow?" Dick smiled. Selina shook her head.

"You shouldn't walk at all for at least a day. The only way you'll be leaving the hospital at all today will be in a wheelchair, Dick," she looked at him apologetically. He shrugged.

"But I'll be okay," Dick pulled Damian close, stroking the boy's hair. He'd fallen asleep again. Tim mumbled from the other bed, his head bobbing a bit, and Jason frowned in his sleep, lazily punching Tim in the stomach. He grumbled incoherently and relaxed again.

"Dick, the stab wound in your shoulder-"

"-has been sustained _before_, Bruce." Dick cut him off, sitting up a bit in alarm. Damian's small hand tightened on the blanket, his brow furrowing in his sleep.

"When you were eleven. You were younger then, you could bounce back from it." Bruce looked down, not meeting his eyes. Dick felt like he'd been touched with something searingly cold.

"What do you mean?"

"The injury, it… the doctors say you've lost some mobility in your left arm. It's not bad, and we can- _I will _get the best doctors in the country here to help you, but… there's going to be lasting damage," Bruce said quietly. Dick leaned back slowly against the pillows, staring at the far wall. "I'm sorry, Dick."

"That's okay. ...It's okay, right? I'm right handed, I can still work with that. And you said _some_. We'll just… see what happens," Dick said hoarsely, swallowing hard. It was as if all the pain from his wounds was numb, save for his shoulder. He could feel the hole, the stinging; the hollow thrumming ache spreading down his arm. Alfred came into the room.

"Everything is in order, sir," he smiled. "Master Dick, lovely to see you alive."

Dick didn't respond, still feeling queazy. Bruce cleared his throat. "We brought you some clothes, if you want help-"

"-Yes, thank you," Dick smiled a little, snapping out of his daze. Damian was sound asleep again and Selina picked him up gently as Bruce helped Dick stand. The movement was clumsy and Dick nearly passed out at the effort; Bruce managed to get him into the small bathroom before he retched in the toilet. He carefully helped Dick into the loose cotton pants and v-neck that Selina had brought, and then half-carried him back out to the wheelchair that Alfred pushed into the room.

"Is this really necessary?" Dick complained, and Alfred draped a zip-up hoodie over Dick's shoulders. Bruce rolled his eyes.

"You threw up as soon as you were upright," he pointed out.

"Fair enough."

Tim and Jason were stretching by the windows and Damian stood with his arms crossed, his short hair cowlicked in the back from sleep. Dick could already feel the weariness returning, weighing on his shoulders and his eyelids, tempting him to sleep again. His arm was numb, but his panic was kept at bay in hopes that it was just caused by the fresh wound and the medication. Dick touched his forehead. He'd actually broken into a sweat, just putting clothes on.

"I've got his medication, the release papers are all signed, and Alfred is pulling the car around," Dick heard Selina whisper to Bruce. She knelt in front of him. "Hey, Sweetheart. Just stay awake long enough for us to get you home, okay?" she smiled and then glanced up at Bruce, speaking quietly. "He's looking at me but I don't think he's registering a word I'm saying, he looks peaked and pretty out of it."

"I'm fine," Dick breathed, but the words barely glanced off of his lips. He didn't think he could hear them, let alone Selina.

"Let's just get him home," Bruce said, gripping the handles of the wheelchair.

"Hey wait! I want to push him!" Jason cried, running to Bruce. Tim joined them.

"I think someone that doesn't irritate the crap out of him should do it," he spat.

"That counts you out, Drake," Damian said snidely.

"Shut it, you three. I'll push him to the car. Let's go." Bruce ordered, and they shuffled out in front of him. Dick jerked a bit, his eyes opening halfheartedly as he started moving, guided down the hall by Bruce.

Everything passed in a white haze. It felt like Dick was watching a bad video recording from the sixties. The sounds, the sights; everything was distant and tinny, and he felt like he was continually missing pieces. He blinked for a second and he was suddenly being lifted out of the wheelchair, unable to feel his own feet on the pavement as he walked. Bruce's voice was garbled beside his head, his good arm draped over his mentor's broad shoulders as he handed Dick to Damian waiting in the front seat. Somewhere a car door slammed.

"We'll… at the Manor…" Damian whispered, but Dick couldn't hear him, his eyes drooping again. When he next opened them they were driving across the bridge towards the Manor, he could hear Jason and Tim arguing in the backseat, but their words were insignificant. He thought he felt a hand in his, but he couldn't be sure.

_You'll be okay, Dick. Keep hoping. It's what I loved about you._

_Harley…_ Dick opened his eyes again, hearing the faint echoes of footsteps in the foyer, the strange sensation of being pushed along against his will over the thick Persian carpets in the halls, the wheels of the wheelchair not making a sound. Bruce opened his door in front of him and Dick blinked slowly again, trying to clear the blurry stupor away.

"Wheres… Where are the others?" he asked hoarsely. Bruce glanced at him.

"Hey, are you awake? You with me?" Bruce smiled, helping him up out of the wheelchair. Once he'd settled Dick into his bed, he pulled the covers up around his neck. "They're all getting lunch. Would you like something to eat?"

Dick shook his head numbly, closing his eyes again. Bruce rested a hand on his forehead.

"You're a bit hot… they gave us some medicine to control the side-effects of your transfusion, you should be okay. Just rest, feel better." Bruce smiled a little.

"Okay, Bruce." Dick breathed, closing his eyes. He heard the door click shut behind Bruce as he left the room.

"Dick?" Harley asked. He sat up in surprise and immediately regretted it, pain bursting from his shoulder and searing from every cut on his body. "Shhh, don't move!" she cried, lowering him gently to the pillows.

"Harley!" he exclaimed, and then blinked in surprise at the strength in his own voice. He no longer sounded hoarse. She smiled, laying at his right side. "What are you doing here? How are you here!?" Dick demanded, stroking a lock of blonde hair out of her face. She didn't say anything, just stretched her neck out and kissed him gently.

When she pulled back, Harley smiled again and put her head on his shoulder, her hand gently cupped under her cheek. Dick frowned and closed his eyes.

"This is a dream, isn't it? You're not real. It's the pain and the medication- you're a dream."

Harley closed her eyes and pressed her nose into his t-shirt, wrapping an arm around his chest as she closed her eyes. Her soft giggle made Dick smile a bit.

"You always were a dream, Harley," he whispered, closing his eyes and relaxing with her beside him.

* * *

><p>Dick's eyes fluttered open. His bedroom was dark, and he tried to sit up, but he groaned as his shoulder burned with the effort. Dick dropped back down to the bed slowly, his jaw clenched against the pain. He felt wide awake. His first thoughts were of the stinging in what felt like every inch in his body, the gashes and bruises itching under the bandaging; his second thought was how hungry he was.<p>

As he sat up cautiously, ignoring the pain, Dick rolled his covers down to his knees and unsteadily swung his legs over the side of the bed. He leaned forward and stood, breathing deeply to control his nausea. He took one unsteady step. Bracing himself against the bed, he took another, and then cried out as he stumbled and fell. He bit down on his tongue to stop the scream rising in his throat, his shoulder and his broken ribs singing out in agony at the impact. He still didn't give up. Dick dragged himself to his knees and struggled into the wheelchair, his injured arm fighting him all the way as he tried to lift himself into a sitting position.

_Stupid. Stupid arm, stupid Joker… stupid wheelchair… _Dick looked down, fumbling for the locks on the wheels, and then stopped.

There was no way he could push it himself with his injured shoulder.

_I can try, dammit…_ he thought angrily, biting his lip and gripping the bars on the wheels. He made it to the hallway, his arm aching with each push until he stopped, leaning back in the chair.

_I'm panting. This is so hard, I'm panting._

Dick closed his eyes.

_Come on, Grayson. _

He flexed his fingers on his left hand carefully, fully extending them and then curling them in. They wouldn't grip properly, and Dick wanted to cry in frustration and anger.

_One stupid decision. That's all it takes, they say. One. Chasing that goose, biting that fishhook that was obvious in front of you; that was it. I can't believe I let myself get captured by the Joker._

And now he'd lost his hand.

_Not completely. It's still there, it still works; it's just slower now, _Dick thought, breathing deeply. He forced a smile onto his face, and then stuck his tongue out in concentration as he rolled toward the elevators, his arm burning with each push. He pressed the button and the doors slid open.

"Master Richard," Alfred said in shock, as the doors widened to reveal Dick. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get some food, Al," Dick panted.

"You need to get back in bed," Alfred demanded. Bruce opened his door and saw the two of them.

"Dick," he almost yelled, "you shouldn't be up."

"I'm fine," Dick protested weakly, his head spinning. It took every bit of his remaining willpower not to groan aloud from the pain. Bruce strode over and grabbed the back of the wheelchair, spinning it back toward Dick's room.

"I'll go get something to eat," Alfred said as Bruce wheeled Dick back to his room. How quickly he was returned made Dick realize his weakness.

"Dick you need to rest." Bruce parked the wheelchair by his bed. Dick felt like he was still moving. He blinked his eyes to try and dispel the feeling. "You should take more meds and-"

"-No!" Dick cried before clenching at the pain. "No," he whispered, "the meds make me see her… Bruce I can't… I can't." He was getting light headed against the pain and dizzy.

"Okay," Bruce told him, kneeling down beside him. Dick smiled weakly and put his hand on Bruce's shoulder. He blinked a few times to try and focus on Bruce's face; he realized his arm hadn't moved. "Dick?" Bruce asked worriedly. Dick shivered, and Bruce caught his shoulders as he slumped. Alfred entered with a tray as Bruce carefully laid Dick in bed.

"I'm too late I see," Alfred commented.

"What are we going to do, Alfred?" Bruce whispered desperately, looking down at his son.

"We will do as we have always done," Alfred said, putting the tray next to Dick's pill bottles, "endure." Alfred paused at the door. "I am going to bed. I suggest you do the same Master Bruce." He left, and Bruce watched him go. He stood for a moment, sighed, took one last look at Dick, and followed Alfred out, closing the door quietly behind him. He knew Selina would still be in his room, but he couldn't face anyone. He wandered down to his study; standing at the edge of his desk, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Where did Jason go?" Tim asked, walking into the study. Bruce stood by his desk, head bent.

"I don't know," he muttered, running his hand through his hair.

"Well, I haven't seen him in a while and I've looked every-"

"-I said I don't know!" Bruce snapped; he swiped papers off his desk in a furious shove. Tim flinched.

"Okay," Tim stuttered, backing slowly away, "I'll just-I'll-"

"-I'm sorry," Bruce whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Bruce," Tim said carefully. "None of this is your-"

"-Don't you dare say none of this is my fault." Bruce growled, facing Tim, his blue eyes pained. "I am the reason for all of this. If I had never…" he trailed off angrily. "I made the Joker who he is. I did this. Everything that has happened to all of you is my fault." He bent his head. "And there is nothing I can do to help him," he said, defeated.

"Bruce, it's…" Tim was at a loss for words. He had never seen the man he looked up to as a father and so much more so completely broken. He swallowed hard.

The front door creaked open loudly, and Tim frowned, turning. It was midnight. Jason stepped through into the foyer, and Tim was about to say something when he saw who entered with Jason; the words froze in his throat.

"Jason what the hell?" he demanded, staring at Poison Ivy.

"I went to go get help," Jason tried to explain hurriedly. Bruce stepped beside Tim, and his face turned hard when he saw Ivy.

"Jason what have you-"

"-Just trust me Bruce," he pleaded, striding forward to the staircase with Ivy trailing behind. Bruce stepped forward, but everyone froze when Selina appeared at the top of the stairs. Ivy strode forward past Jason.

"Evening kitty," she taunted. Selina's jaw was set and her lip trembled as she watched Ivy walk up toward her. She stepped aside to let Ivy pass.

"Second door on your left," Selina told her. Jason took the stairs two at a time after her, and Tim followed worriedly behind Bruce. Ivy and Jason were already in Dick's room by the time they made the top of the stairs, and Selina trailed behind them.

"What is she doing here?!" Damian demanded from inside Dick's room. When they entered, he was standing by Dick's head, his hands clenched at his sides as he glared at Ivy. Dick's face was sweaty and pale, and his breathing was uneven and shallow.

"Relax, pigeon," Ivy sneered. Tim saw something in her hand as her eyes locked onto Dick; it was a small needle, filled with a pale blue-green liquid. "No one likes a bird with a clipped wing." Damian reached out, too slow to stop her as she jabbed the needle into Dick's neck. Tim cried out, and Selina held onto Bruce's arm. Blood beaded as the needle was withdrawn. "Unfortunately, that was the easy part," Ivy told them, stepping away from the bed. "He's in for a rough night." Jason and Selina both nodded slightly as they watched Ivy walk slowly from the room. "Someone will have to watch him to make sure he doesn't try to kill himself," she advised, stepping into the hall. Everyone in the room jumped slightly as Dick twitched.


	14. I Feel Great

_**Hope.**_

_**At Wayne Manor, there is little to none at the moment. Poison Ivy came to the rescue against her nature, but as a favor to the people she loves. Now she's administered something, at Jason's request, that can either make or break Dick Grayson. **_

_**After an agonizing night trying to keep him alive, Bruce Wayne reflects on all that he has. A visit from his friend at the Justice League may uncover a situation requiring his attention, but Bruce refuses to leave his family. After last night… how could he go?**_

"Bruce?"

Selina stepped into the study, hoping that he was here and not the damn Batcave_._ She smiled in relief when her eyes fell on his figure silhouetted by the sunlight pouring in through either of the floor to ceiling steepled windows on the opposite side of the room. She looked over her shoulder. "One minute, please…" Her soft footsteps hurried across the room and she stopped beside Bruce. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his weary eyes. Selina sympathetically rubbed his arm, frowning sadly, and he looked at her. His eyes seemed to focus with some effort on her face, and he cleared his throat.

"Selina. What… what is it has something happened?" Bruce seemed to go from exhausted to distressed in less than a second. She put a hand comfortingly on his chest.

"No, Bruce. Everything is perfectly fine. You have company, is all." Selina whispered, kissing his cheek as a tall, dark haired man in glasses stepped into the room.

"I'm sorry if this is a bad time, Bruce-"

"-no, Clark." Bruce smiled a little. "Sit. Selina, could you have Alfred send us some coffee, please?"

Selina took one glance between them both and then gracefully walked from the room. Clark lowered himself into one of the chairs in front of Bruce's desk, unbuttoning the jacket of his suit a bit. Once Selina left, he dropped his klutzy act and took his glasses off, looking up at Bruce.

"You don't look well," Clark commented as Bruce sank into his chair.

"I don't feel that way, either."

"I heard what happened. Is it worse than the news says?" he asked quietly. Bruce nodded and closed his eyes. The moment that he'd stepped into the Manor, Clark had noted the somber tone that hung heavy on the household. No one had greeted him at the door. Not even the dog had walked alongside him as he searched for someone to talk to, and when he'd finally found Selina, she had been crying in the empty dining room.

"We didn't know what to do," Bruce admitted solemnly, taking a deep breath. "The Joker beat him up pretty bad, but the worst of it was… he stabbed him through the shoulder. The blade was poisoned, and he lost most of the mobility in his arm."

Clark winced. "God, to do that to a kid like that, who takes so much joy in acrobatics…"

"We found a solution," Bruce said quietly, "but last night was hell."

* * *

><p>Damian sat bolt upright in bed, the screaming coming down the hall shaking him to his core. He grabbed his iPhone and yanked the covers over his head, his trembling hands pressing his earbuds into his ears and turning the volume up to drown out the noise. He pulled his knees to his chest and tried to focus on the music, furiously rubbing his tears away.<p>

Tim ran past Damian's door and down the hall toward Dick's bedroom, and as his hand grasped the knob, Selina pulled him away. Tim struggled against her.

"Tim, no! Bruce is in there, he's got him!"

"We have to help him!" Tim cried, but Selina pulled him close and hugged him tight. Tim buried his face in her shoulder and she stroked his hair, trying to calm his shuddering.

"There's nothing we can do, Tim. We just need to try to sleep and let Bruce handle this," she whispered. Tim gasped in terror as Dick cried out desperately again, and he closed his eyes.

"It sounds like he's dying all over again," Tim breathed, a tremor in his voice. Selina led him down the hallway to her and Bruce's bedroom, closing the door behind them.

Dick howled in pain again and Damian burst from his bedroom, sprinting past the sounds of Dick's agony and disappearing into Bruce's room. He threw himself onto the bed with Selina and Tim. Selina reached out and brought Damian up into her arms, stroking his hair.

"Shhh, it's alright. Bruce is with him, he'll be okay." Damian shuddered and Tim whimpered as the muffled screams rose and fell from down the hallway. Selina closed her eyes. "Try to sleep, boys. It will be alright."

Bruce didn't know if Dick was awake or asleep. It had started calmly, as if he were having a nightmare, but Bruce had to restrain Dick when he'd nearly jumped out the window. Jason had helped Bruce force him back to the bed; Dick had almost overpowered them both. He let out another shuddering cry from the bed, yanking against the restraints on his biceps and wrists.

Bruce closed his eyes, covering his mouth with his hand. Restraining his wrists hadn't been enough; in his fit Dick had ripped them off as quickly as Bruce could tie them on. Bruce didn't know what Poison Ivy had done to him, but he was in agony.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Bruce," Clark said after a long break of silence. "I'm not a mind reader. I can't help you if you don't tell me what you need."<p>

"I don't need anything from you, Clark," Bruce said quietly. "You, or the League. It's just a matter of waiting. He needs time."

"And you don't know what this Poison Ivy woman administered?" Clark asked, his china coffee cup clinking softly as he placed it on the desk in front of him. Bruce shook his head.

"No."

"Why did you let her do it?"

"Because I trust Jason."

Outside the two tall windows behind him, Bruce could hear Damian and Tim shouting in the yard. He turned and looked over his shoulder; the boys were sparring on the lawn as Alfred and Selina refereed, and there was a tremendous metallic _clang _as Damian's katana met Tim's bo staff in midair. Clark stood and strode to the windows.

"Your boys are skilled. I've always admired that."

Bruce smiled a little. "Thank you."

"They're keeping busy," Clark commented, putting a hand in his pocket and glancing at Bruce.

"Alfred keeps them pretty well in line, and so does Selina. She's more of a mother than any of them had, and those who did have good home lives were too young to remember it. I'm lucky to have her. And I think she enjoys being mothering. It's a far cry from her past life, and God knows she's better off here. Even is she tells me that she was fine on her own." Bruce joined him at the windows. Clark glanced at him again, taking in the sorrow and exhaustion and love in his face as he watched Tim and Damian in the yard.

"I can only imagine the toll this took on your family, last night," Clark began. "If there's anything _I_ can do, personally, I'd be happy to-"

"-Clark," Bruce cut him off, looking him in the eyes. "Thank you, for your concern. We have it handled."

"All right, old friend," Clark replied, placing a hand reassuringly on Bruce's shoulder. The two of them watched Tim and Damian's fight through the high clear windows. Selina turned a bit and her eyes met Bruce's; she waved at him and smiled.

* * *

><p>"It's okay, Dick," Bruce whispered, dropping his head in his hands. He flinched away as Dick groaned in pain, his head tossing on the pillows. Bruce could feel his exhaustion weighing on him. He'd been up for nearly seventy-two hours, with little rest. "It will be okay…"<p>

"Bruce-" Dick gasped, his back arching as he tore against the restraints. "-it _hurts_ Bruce-!"

"I know, Dick, you've just got to control it. You've got to get through it…" Bruce tried to comfort him, but it was drowned out as Dick let out another agonizing scream; Jason recoiled from the bed, his eyes wide.

"I'm sorry, Bruce, It's not supposed to-"

"-It's _fine, _Jason! Just go get me some clean bandaging and a rag and some water- he's bleeding again-" Bruce snapped. Dick gasped for air, covered in sweat and pale as a ghost. He looked at Bruce, his blue eyes wide and unfocused.

"Bruce-"

"It's okay, Dick, I'm here," he leaned forward, grasping Dick's hand. The boy gripped back with incredible strength. Dick shook his head and bit his lip, a tremor running through his body as he screamed into his clenched lips.

"Bruce- d-don't be h-hard on Jason-" Dick stuttered, the pain receding for a brief second. He knew it would come back full force in a moment, burning in every wound in his body like he's being torn apart at the seams. "It's not h-his f-fault-"

"I know, Dick," Bruce said gently. Dick whimpered frantically, his voice thick and tears running down his face as his muscles tensed again.

"N-No- no-" he gasped and his fists clenched, slamming down on the mattress as the burning washed over him again, and his jaw tightened. It didn't stop him from screaming in agony.

"I'm so sorry, Dick," Jason breathed, returning with the supplies Bruce asked for. He handed them wordlessly over Dick's restrained, convulsing form, and Bruce took them. He began to re-bandage Dick's shoulder with some effort; he'd bled through the old ones, and his jerking against the restraints made it difficult to wrap the bandaging around him. Jason wet the rag and tried to cool Dick's forehead with the cold water.

"Is there anything we can do for him?" Jason asked.

"Wait," Bruce swallowed hard, trying to sound strong.

* * *

><p>"I know this may be a bad time," Clark said as he and Bruce walked out of his study toward the door. "But the League needs you."<p>

"Clark. I am _not _leaving my family like this, you know that." Bruce said angrily. They stopped in the large foyer, their voices quiet and echoing in the high-ceilinged room.

"I know. And I respect that, completely. But there's been a disturbance."

"Does the rest of the League know about this?" Bruce asked, eyeing Clark carefully.

"Yes and no," he began, and Bruce scoffed. "They don't know everything yet!" Clark continued defensively, meeting Bruce's eyes.

Bruce crossed his arms across his heavy chest and looked at his friend skeptically. "If the League doesn't know, why are you telling me? Aren't you all about protocol?"

"The protocol states that should I discover something, I share it with one of the senior officers. As far as the League is concerned, that's me and Diana, but as far as _I _am concerned, you are the only one I answer to." Clark snapped, and Bruce uncrossed his arms.

"All right, what's the problem?"

Clark shifted uncomfortably. "It has to do with Lex Luthor. He's been making frequent deliveries to Gotham. See? This is about you and me."

"Where are these deliveries going?" Bruce asked, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know. I've been trying to be as tactful and discreet as possible in Gotham so as not to attract attention to myself," he replied, taking his glasses out of his breast pocket and putting them on. "You have a strict rule established within the Justice League that Gotham is off limits."

"To any of you," Bruce agreed, folding his hands behind his back. Clark rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, Bruce, it would be a lot easier to stop Lex in his tracks, if you were to…" he trailed off, watching Bruce to gauge his reaction. His face remained impassive.

"Absolutely not."

Clark looked at him in exasperation. "Bruce, don't be like this-"

"-I'm not. You know the rule, you just stated it back to me," Bruce said darkly. "Not one of you sets foot in Gotham."

* * *

><p>Dick's door clicked shut behind Bruce.<p>

"How is he?!" Selina asked, hurrying down the hallway to him. "I finally got the other boys to bed, downstairs in their blanket fort. It's quieter down there. They can't hear him." She flinched and closed her eyes as Dick wailed from his bedroom.

"He's not good. The pain doesn't seem to be getting any better, and on top of that, I think he's hallucinating." Bruce looked down, his eyes a mask of shadow in the dark of the hallway. Selina covered her mouth with her hand. "He's been babbling, trying to talk to Harley and his parents in his delirium; I think he keeps reliving their deaths."

Selina took a deep, shuddering breath. "Isn't there anything we can do? Don't we have sedatives and things-"

"-Ivy told us not to give him anything else. Depending upon his reaction to what she gave him, it could make him worse." Bruce looked down, defeated. Selina took his face in her hands and looked him in the eyes, stroking a thumb over his cheekbone gently.

"Is there anything I can do for _you_, Bruce?" she whispered, watching him hopefully. Bruce closed his tired eyes.

"Give me Dick back," he whispered.

Selina wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, standing on her toes to reach him. His eyes were closed as he held her tight, one hand wrapped around her waist, the other clutching her dark hair. Selina pressed her nose against his collarbone, holding him and stroking his hair. She just wanted her Bruce back. She wanted the family she'd found back.

Jason suddenly burst from Dick's room and slammed into them, stumbling and falling to the floor. Bruce turned to him in alarm.

"What is it? What happened?" he demanded. Another wailing laugh arose from the open door, and Jason slapped his hands over his ears. Selina's blood ran cold.

"I don't know what happened- he just started laughing like that! It scared the hell out of me so I ran! What was I supposed to do!?" Jason demanded. Selina knelt beside him and helped him stand as Bruce disappeared into Dick's room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

><p>"You know, if you would just let people <em>help <em>you, Bruce-"

"Is that what the Justice League is, Clark? Your own personal 9-1-1 dispatch?!"

"Of course not! We are _friends_! Friends help each other when things aren't going well!" Clark hissed, getting tired of Bruce's obduracy.

"I know, Clark. I told you, I don't need help. The situation in Gotham can be handled by it's Batman." Bruce said adamantly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I have this under control." Clark put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"This isn't under control, Bruce. The Joker is dangerous, not just to Gotham anymore. With Lex entering the picture, this is beginning to look a whole lot more like a team game," Clark said. "If you would work with us, maybe your boys could _rest _properly. They could take a break from crime fighting."

"They don't need a break," Bruce said stolidly.

"Everything you've been saying to me today tells me that you're _lying._ And I _don't _need to be a mind reader to pick up on that. Help me help you, Bruce." Clark pleaded.

"Gotham is protected. Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Red Hood, Catwoman, Red Robin… We're more than armed. Thank you for your _concern,_ Clark," Bruce replied. Clark pushed his glasses up on his nose.

"Don't forget Nightwing," a voice called from the top of the stairs. Bruce and Clark both turned to see Dick leaning on the railing of the stairs above them, grinning through the bandages taped and mummifying his bare torso.

"Dick!" Bruce cried in alarm, rushing up the stairs toward him. Dick held up a hand.

"Bruce, I feel _fine. _Look!" he cried in excitement, holding up both of his hands, wiggling the fingers. "I can move!"

Bruce gaped at him as Clark watched them from below. Dick grinned broadly.

"And I feel _great._"


	15. Not Nightwing

_**The Waynes are resilient.**_

_**Poison Ivy administered something to save Dick Grayson's arm, and his crime-fighting career. It worked, but Batman worries: at what cost? His son is healing faster than natural, when two days ago he was near death. And the night that she gave it to him… the healant almost wasn't worth the pain it'd caused.**_

_**Up and kicking, so to speak, Dick realizes the full repercussions of this event on his family. He sends them all off to rest, thinking on his own pains of the night, little of which he remembers. Barbara, always a comfort and still a friend, helps him make sense of the Joker's attack.**_

"Dick if you get up again, I'm belting you in," Bruce warned, shoving Dick back down into the wheelchair. He glared up at him, his jaw set angrily.

"Bruce, I walked down the stairs by myself this morning! One foot in front of the other, right? The correct way to walk didn't somehow _change_ while I was unconscious, now did it?!" Dick snapped, but he didn't try to get up again.

"No but the fact that you've been unconscious for nearly two days with life threatening injuries did not change either," Bruce growled. He paced back over to the couch but didn't sit down. Dick narrowed his eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Yeah, um, Bruce? When was the last time you slept?" Dick asked casually, glancing at Selina. She stared at Bruce, waiting on his answer.

"Too long," Selina muttered. "You need to get some sleep," she ordered, striding over and looking Bruce sternly in the eyes. "You've been up for three days."

Dick smirked triumphantly at Bruce from behind Selina and turned his wheelchair to leave. "I'll just be outside, getting some _air_…"

"Dick!" Tim cried, bursting into the living room. He skidded to a stop halfway across the room. "You are conscious this time right?"

"Yes?" Dick cocked his head at him, smiling. "What's up, Tim?"

"He got his ass kicked," Damian told him smugly, walking into the room with his hands clasped behind his back. Tim shoved him.

"I did not! You cheated!" he looked at Dick defensively. "_He _cheated. The little demon sliced my bo staff clean in half. Stupid swords… you can't use swords in the field, _anyway_," he snapped at Damian.

"You just said duel, there were no rules," Damian hissed, glaring at him. Dick ignored them and looked at Bruce.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be? I could always get up and go for a run…" he taunted, smiling.

"Fine," Bruce snapped. He kissed Selina on the cheek. "I'm going to bed. _None _of you are leaving this house." He glared at each boy in turn. Dick nodded.

"Of course, Father," Damian agreed. Tim shrugged in indifference as well.

"I'm not trying to stop Jason when he wakes up though," Tim warned.

"I'll do it," Dick waved a hand dismissively. Damian looked at him skeptically, crossing his arms. "What? If I shed a little tear, tell him I don't want him to leave? Piece of cake," Dick grinned.

"Fair enough," Damian shook his head, hiding a smile.

"You. Bed." Selina gently pulled Bruce from the room. Dick watched them go, and then grinned at the other two.

"Meow."

"Shut up, Dick," Tim laughed, glad to have him back to his old self.

"I see your near death experiences have done nothing to improve your sense of humor, Richard," Damian muttered, leaning on the arm of the couch.

"My jokes will always be this awesome, Damian. They're better than _your _jokes. Oh! Wait…" He laughed, and Tim snorted a little.

"Your wit _astounds_ me," Damian whispered sarcastically.

"You two look tired. Didn't you get any rest at all last night? You should sleep," Dick looked at them.

"No one got any sleep last night," Tim told him, staring at him curiously. "Aren't you at all tired?" Damian watched him carefully. Dick glanced at Tim, and then at Damian.

"No, actually… I'm not tired at all. Why?"

"No reason," Tim mumbled hastily, glancing away. Dick's brow furrowed anxiously.

"What happened, guys? Did I do something wrong?" he tried to wheel closer to them on the wheelchair, but his hurt arm still stung when he pushed. As he struggled with it, his frustration that he'd been hiding was clear on his face. Finally giving up, he looked straight at Tim. "What happened?"

"You didn't take what Poison Ivy gave you well," Damian told him drily.

"You weren't _that_ bad," Tim amended weakly.

"What do you mean I didn't- what do you mean 'that bad'!? What did she give me!?" Dick demanded, going a bit pale.

"We don't know," Damian told him. "Jason had her bring it."

"Jason… Is that how…?" Dick silently held up his left arm, stretching his fingers. Tim nodded a bit.

"I mean, you look a hell of a lot better, but you went through hell to get that way. Do you really not remember it?"

"I just remember waking up this morning. I just thought… I don't know what I thought." Dick shook his head and looked down.

"Well, Jason and Bruce kind of had to stay with you all night." Tim shrugged. Dick ran a hand through his hair and looked between them both.

"Was it bad? Did I hurt anybody?" he pleaded, as Jason walked into the room.

"Did you hurt anybody when?" he asked yawning.

"Last night," Dick sighed. "When your girlfriend drugged me up with God knows what."

"Just yourself," Jason shrugged. Dick let out a slow breath.

"Good. What did she give me, Jason?"

"A watered down antitoxin. When it's as diluted as she had it, it's pretty much the world's greatest healant that she _isn't _willing to share with the world. You won't get crazy skills or regeneration or anything, it just fixed you up, and relax," he rolled his eyes, "I knew it wouldn't kill you."

"It could've killed me!?" Dick cried in surprise.

"I mean, it's not _overly_ tested on- actually, I dont think shes _ever _tested that formula on a human."

Dick sighed a bit and looked down. "It was still risky, but thanks, Jay," he smiled at him. "Now, I reiterate; you all look very tired. Sorry for keeping you up last night."

"No problem." Jason flopped down on the couch. "I don't know how I could've dealt with that myself. At least I had Bruce."

"Jason," Tim snapped, throwing a pillow at him. "It wasn't that bad."

"Whatever, you go ahead and lie to him," Jason yawned, putting the pillow under his head. "But I'm too tired."

Dick's brow furrowed anxiously. "Then get some rest. _All _of you," he pressed, looking at Damian and Tim. Damian shrugged and strode from the room; Tim nodded once before following. Dick glanced at Jason.

"Nuh, uh," Jason mumbled, "I made it all the way downstairs; you're the one moving."

"Fine," he muttered irritably, pushing himself out of the room with some effort. He paused in the foyer to regain his breath. The doorbell rang, and Dick looked up. When Alfred stirred somewhere in the house, coming to answer it, Dick called out to him. "It's okay, Alfred, I've got it!" He opened the door, and Barbara blinked down at him in surprise.

"Dick."

"Babs? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," she said, stepping into the house and closing the door behind her. Dick rested his hands on the wheels of his wheelchair, smiling up at her. "And to help Bruce with whatever he might need… You look really good for being… well." She studied him, finding it hard to believe that he'd been in the hospital the day before.

"Thanks. I could be walking, but Bruce won't let me get out of this stupid thing. He doesn't think I'm strong enough yet… It's a pain in the ass, because it's my arm that can't move," he laughed and shook his head. "Everyone in the house is sleeping, so I guess if you came to see me, here I am."

"Yeah," she laughed a little. "Here you are…"

There was a moment of silence before Dick took a deep breath. "Would you like something to eat? We could go to the kitchen, see if Alfred is up to making something-" he inhaled sharply as he tried to push his wheelchair, the effort sending a dull shock up his arm.

"Stop," she instructed him. Quickly walking around, she grabbed the handles on his wheelchair and pushed him toward the kitchen. "When was the last time you ate?" she asked him.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. Maybe the marshmallows at our campfire? Does a drip at the hospital count?" he smiled over his shoulder at her.

"For you, maybe, but for normal people, no." She pulled him to a stop in the kitchen.

"I guess I should eat something, huh?" he half-joked, but his stomach growled. "Alfred?"

"I heard you coming Master Richard," Alfred told him, stepping out of the pantry. "Wonderful to see you on your feet again, so to speak."

"Yeah, not so much. Bruce vetoed the whole 'walking' thing." Dick smiled. "Anything in here for us to have?"

"I'm sure I can manage something," Alfred told them, gesturing to a pot on the stove. "I believe it was one of Master Richard's favorites as a child." Dick couldn't see, but Barbara peeked into pot.

"Wait," she pulled back in disbelief, "is that mac and cheese?"

"Alfred, you're a godsend," Dick cried, grinning at him.

"Yes, well," Alfred sniffed, "I can do with hearing that more." He handed Dick a glass of milk. "Would you perchance like something else, Miss Gordon?"

She smiled down at Dick. "No, Alfred, I'll just take milk too." Barbara leaned against the wheelchair handles and Dick grinned up at her. She snorted at his milk mustache. "You're a child."

"You've known me too long to think I'd be anything else," he quipped, mopping a sleeve over his mouth.

"I don't think there was a doubt in anyone's mind," Alfred said as he offered each of them a bowl. Dick gratefully took his, smiling happily.

"It's been too long," he mumbled, shoving a spoonful into his mouth. Barbara rolled her eyes and looked at Alfred.

"How was his first night home?"

"Rather eventful," Alfred commented, not looking as he wiped the counters. Dick looked down guiltily as Barbara glanced between the two of them.

"Alright, I know when to drop the subject," she said, eating her macaroni. "But will one of you tell me why you're not the walking dead anymore?" she demanded, scooping up some more noodles. Dick shrugged, but he bit his lip.

"Poison Ivy gave me a dose of a healing formula she concocted," Dick mumbled. Barbara's spoon hovered in midair as she glanced between him and Alfred.

"Okay, I'm sure I've heard weirder. Just give me a second to think what."

"I know, I didn't quite understand, either. But, I guess since she's Jay's almost-girlfriend, that changes things, changes attitudes against us…" Dick looked down.

"Just so long as her magic potion doesn't have any weird side effects because I don't know if we can be friends if you grow antlers." She popped some more macaroni in her mouth with a smile. Dick seemed to relax a bit, and he smiled back.

"Thanks, Barbara. I really do feel better, but I don't see why I have to be in this ridiculous wheelchair."

"Don't diss wheelchairs," she warned, pointing her spoon at him. Dick rolled his eyes.

"All right, you're right," he smiled. "It's odd, being the one pushed instead of the one doing the pushing, though."

"I _don't _miss it." Barbara hopped up to sit on the counter then glanced around to make sure Alfred wouldn't yell at her. He was gone. "Oh, I've been told that the entire police force sends their wishes for your recovery and all that. Not that you need it." She set her empty bowl aside.

"I know. It's weird, I'm healing faster than normal. And I feel better than I have in days, Babs," he said, flexing his left hand carefully, as if the sensation would fade as quickly as it came. "Jay already said the effects won't last, it's like setting a reset button. I heal fast now, but I'm back to normal later."

"But since the rest of the world thinks Officer Grayson sustained life threatening injuries, it looks like you'll be under house arrest for a while." Dick glanced up in horror, like he hadn't thought of that until now. He suddenly relaxed, and smiled.

"Officer Grayson, maybe, but not _Nightwing_," he said, relieved. Barbara rolled her eyes.

"Well _Nightwing_, the Joker has half the force terrified. Two cops have been targeted, and they don't know what's going on." She looked at him seriously. "Any ideas what to do about that?"

"Well, _I _suggested we kill the Joker, but even Jason didn't go for that one," he joked. "I really don't know, Babs. We have no idea where he is, and no idea what he's doing."

Barbara sighed. "You should have seen the station; it's chaos." She put her head in her hands. "My dad is so stressed. I mean, there's this and then the criminal population is out of its mind. I mean half of them are choosing to get arrested, or the other half has vanished."

Dick looked down, feeling guilty that he wasn't there to help them. He knew he should be. "I'll figure something out, Barbara." He put a hand reassuringly on hers, pulling her hands away from her face and smiling at her. Ever the optimist. "We can figure this out."

"I just wish I knew what was going on, you know?" she sighed. "We can't fight something if we don't know what it is."


	16. Out For A Treat

_**It's time to get back to business.**_

_**After a mandatory day of rest in the wake of Dick's stint as a dead man, The Batman family is feeling refreshed. Meeting in the Batcave to discuss the situation, Batman, Robin, and Dick Grayson decide who will go, and who will stay.**_

_**Batman and Robin head out in search of answers, hoping to learn more about the hit on Nightwing and Poison Ivy's antitoxin. They learn a little more than they bargained for, and can't help wondering; does Nightwing have anything to do with the Joker's plan at all? Or is there a bigger game in play?**_

"FUCK! SON OF A-"

Batman and Robin both looked up in surprise as the string of profanities continued from the elevator, where Dick was struggling with his wheelchair. When he finally forced it forward, he came towards them, a look of exasperation on his face; he stopped beside Robin.

"Fucking wheels. Fucking rocks. Stupid fu-"

"-Thank you, Dick," Batman cut him off. Dick muttered something under his breath irritably, crossing his arms.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

"Out," Batman said simply. "All of us were here last night, and there is no telling when the Joker could strike next."

"Okay, so what am I doing?" Dick looked up at him expectantly. It was somewhat unsettling how quickly his wounds were healing; the bruise on his face had all but disappeared already.

"You are going to get some rest," Batman ordered him, crossing his arms over his chest. Dick stared at him for a moment.

"Fuck that."

"Watch it," Batman warned him.

"No. _Fuck that,_ Bruce, I'm not going to bed. I can help you." Dick stared at him, his eyebrows raised in defiance, his jaw set tight.

"No," Batman snapped, his jaw jutting out angrily. "Yesterday at this time you were an incoherent mess. I don't care how much better you feel, we are _not_ pushing it."

"I'm not pushing it, Bruce! I could run circles around you right now. I feel more than 'better'. I feel like I did ten years ago," Dick snapped. "I can help you and you know you need it. It's _chaos _out there. You need every man you can get."

"My answer is unchanged," Batman growled. "So you can stop arguing this and go to bed, or you can waste all our times while I _make_ you."

Dick's eyes narrowed and he scoffed. "You're going to make me, Bruce? Gonna sedate the kid in a wheelchair?"

"We both know I have other methods. Are you going to make me use them?"

"Have you _ever _known me to go quietly?" Dick smirked. Batman stared at him for a moment.

"Fine. You can go _if_ you can do a pull-up with only your injured arm."

Dick's jaw tightened and he looked down furiously. "You win. You always win, damn you. Fine." He turned to leave, muttering something under his breath again. A dull pain shot down his arm with every push, but it was tolerable. Ignorable, even, but he knew that he'd never be able to do a full pull-up with it. It would be difficult with the pain, but he'd also risk tearing the muscle again.

"Goodbye, Richard," Robin called after him. "And don't worry, we aren't expecting you to leave quietly."

Dick flipped him off as he got onto the elevator and the doors closed. Robin glanced at Batman as he walked toward the Batmobile. "Come on, old man, we're wasting time."

"I could leave you in charge of the cave," Batman warned.

"Don't be ridiculous," Robin scoffed as he jumped lithely into the passenger seat and buckled the belt. "You'd be lost without me."

"Of course," Batman chuckled from the driver's seat, "all the years before you amount to nothing." He revved the engine.

"Glad we're on the same page," Robin commented as the Batmobile tore out of the Batcave.

"First order of business," Batman said as he pushed some coordinates into the computer. "We're finding someone who can tell us more about the hit out for Nightwing."

"Extracting information, eh? I love it when you take me out for a treat, Father," Robin smiled, tugging his gloves tighter on his hands.

"I think I'll do the interrogating this time," Batman said drily. "But if you're lucky, we'll stop for ice cream."

Robin's nose scrunched behind his mask. "I'd not enjoy something so _childish._ And I didn't even bring my katanas this time," he added.

"Not that that would stop you from killing someone," Batman muttered. He pulled the Batmobile to a stop outside of a rundown house. Robin jumped out, pulling his hood over his head.

"You know, I haven't killed anyone since I vowed not to," he hissed, glaring at Batman's barely visible silhouette in the dark. "I find your lack of faith disturbing. That is, I _would_, if I cared what you thought," he snapped.

"Let's just go bust up a party," Batman sighed. Robin wordlessly followed him up the sidewalk toward the building. Batman kicked the door in, and the five men around the poker table jumped into action.

Two of them rushed Batman at once, and Robin shot out from the cover of Batman's cape, flying through the air. He wrapped his legs around a man's neck and dove to the side, using the momentum to flip him over and into the wall. Robin landed with a graceful stance and then ran at another, planting a boot firmly on the man's thigh. He leapt up and his knee connected with the man's jaw. Robin felt teeth pull loose with the force, and the man was sent hurdling into his first companion; the two hit the wall, sliding in a dazed heap to the floor. Batman knocked his second man out in one wickedly fast blow, and then he turned. The fifth and final man drew a gun, advancing toward the two of them. Robin leapt into the air and his spinning kick disarmed the man; Batman caught him by the throat and picked him up, shoving him against the wall. The other four groaned and tried to sit up, but not one of them made any attempt to escape or fight back again.

"Batman!" the man choked. "What are you doing here? We haven't done anything-"

"-Shut up Silvester," Batman growled. "I want information, and you're the man to come to." He tossed Sil to the ground. "What are the Joker's plans about Nightwing?"

"I don't know man," Sil cried. "He just put out a city wide hit on him. Everyone was coming in from everywhere to get him, but most of them are getting scared away. From what I hear, more of them end up at the GCPD than anywhere near him."

"Why?" Batman demanded, grabbing the front of his shirt.

"I don't know! I really don't," Sil pleaded. "But most of the hitmen have been scared off, and from what I can tell, the Joker's moved on."

"To what?" Batman hissed.

"No one knows. I swear. He's kept real quiet with this one since his jester chick turned against him."

Robin narrowed his eyes, watching the four men leaning against the wall. He half listened to Batman and Silvester talking.

"You can't tell me anything?" Batman demanded.

"I swear I don't know anything!" Sil cried, flinching. Batman released him.

"What is Lex Luthor's business in Gotham?"

"Luthor?" Sil asked confused. "I haven't heard about any business deals with LexCorp around here." Batman glared down at him before turning and sweeping from the room. Robin followed him out to the Batmobile.

"This was a waste of time," Batman growled.

"You should have asked him where the Joker _is_," Robin snapped heatedly, getting into the car.

"If the Joker was easy to find, he'd be off the streets," Batman muttered, slamming his door closed. Robin crossed his arms over his chest.

"It would have been worth a try," he mumbled, looking out the window. Batman accelerated away from the house.

"We can try other avenues besides Silvest-" He cut off as he jerked the car to a stop. A little girl with wide eyes stood in the center of the headlights clutching her hands together. "Wait here," Batman ordered Robin, getting out of the car. The little girl ran away as soon as Batman was out of the car. Robin jumped out of the passenger seat and walked to Batman's side.

"Congratulations, you found the one female in Gotham who _isn't _turned on by a batsuit," Robin mumbled, watching the girl run with mild interest.

"But why…" Batman trailed off, looking around the deserted street.

"I'm going to find out," Robin said suddenly, taking off after the girl.

"Robin! No wait!" Batman called after him. He ignored Batman and chased the girl around a corner, finally catching her arm. He yanked her to a stop and held her there.

"Hello. What do you think you're doing, running out in front of cars, alone in the middle of the night?" he snapped, glaring at her.

"You have to go, Robin!" she cried, tugging at his hand on her arm. "You need to-"

"-don't waste the boy's time," a man hissed from the dark corner of the alley. Robin released the girl and she ran off into the night as Batman came to a stop behind Robin, his cape sweeping around them both. "Batman. I've been expecting you."

"Who are you?" he demanded gruffly, narrowing his eyes.

"A friend when you need me. A foe when you don't," the voice purred. It was male and soft as velvet, quiet and calm. Robin took a step forward and Batman caught his shoulder. Something was off about their mysterious caller. "Learned that from Harvey. Dent's lost it in the head, but he's in Arkham, so your mind is desperately thinking- who could _this _be?"

"What are you now?" Batman continued, his hand still tight on Robin's small shoulder.

"You're at a loss, and your boy has been hurt."

Robin's eyes widened a bit, and he glanced up at Batman. Batman looked down, his face bathed in shadow. "You know."

"Of course. Not everyone in Gotham is a complete moron, you know. Some of these villains, they pretend, and some of them truly don't know. Most citizens can't put two and two either, but you're an obvious read to me."

"If you're a friend, prove it. Show me who you are," Batman replied darkly.

"Before you arrest me, I'll have you know that I have valuable information," the voice purred. A tall, lean man stepped out, black curls matted against a large, intelligent forehead. Broken glasses covered pale eyes.

"Crane," Batman hissed, taking a step forward. Jonathan Crane took a step back, smiling, a flash of white teeth. "You broke out of Arkham."

"It wasn't hard, it's destroyed and in utter panic recently," he breathed. "I will cut you a deal, Batman. I have valuable information, like I said, about your boy and about Luthor's operations."

"What's your proposal?" Batman asked curiously, the wind rolling down the alleyway and blowing his cape protectively around Robin's shoulders.

"Take me back to Arkham."

"You want to be returned to imprisonment? That hardly seems like you, Crane," Batman replied, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Oh believe me. Arkham is a five-star resort compared to how I've been living here. The Joker and Luthor, working together? Not a single person wants to be out on the streets. The Joker's been on a mad rampage lately, under your radar, Bats."

"Give us the information you have, and you'll be returned to your cell," Robin promised. Batman nodded his approval.

"First, about your boy. Nightwing has been messing up plan after plan lately, and the Joker didn't like that very much. There was also the whole 'stealing Harley' as he puts it- the guy has gone off the deep end. From what I hear, he still talks to her. Like he's imagining her or something. He only wants the kid for revenge, and since he found out that he actually _survived _the mess he made of him- Joker's gotten worse." Crane cleared his throat, wiping his glasses off on his shirt. "And finally, Luthor. I don't know much, Batman. But I do know that they're working _together_ on something. It involves Joker gas and something that Lex invented- Not much else," Jonathan Crane looked down.

"Why tell us? I mean, other than to save your own skin?" Robin asked curiously as Batman stepped forward to handcuff Crane.

"A snitch is just a title they give you. After this, no one in this town will work with me, and I'm glad of it I don't need the help- but in order for our polluted damages to grow, we can't have the Joker blowing up the petri dish, now can we? I don't mind being called a snitch, and I don't mind double-crossing the Joker. Especially when he tried to kill us all."

"One more question," Batman said as he guided Crane towards the Batmobile to take him to Arkham Asylum. "What do you know about a botanical remedy that Poison Ivy could use to heal a person?" he asked, pushing him gruffly into the car. Damian leapt into the passenger seat.

"That? I helped her make it. She is _not _a people person let me tell you. It was a temporary healing- well I don't want to say _potion_. _Herbal remedy_ is more like it. It takes a couple of days, completely heals the person it's administered to, but then it wears off and he- I'm assuming this _is _Nightwing we're talking about- will return to completely normal. He'll feel invincible for a couple of days, though."

"Thank you, Crane, you've been… helpful." Batman glanced at Robin as they drove, and Robin shrugged. Jonathan laughed.

"I'll kill you yet, Batman," he replied. Batman smirked.

"Perhaps another time."


	17. An Acrobat, a Ninja, and a Detective

_**A day together could be beneficial.**_

_**Poison Ivy gave Dick Grayson a variation of her antitoxin; none of the lasting effects of it, but she promised that he'd feel invincible for a time. He'd heal and then return to normal. 'Like a reset button'.**_

_**They also learned that there is indeed a bigger picture here, that may be more than the Batman family can handle. Batman's strict rules prevent the Justice League from entering Gotham, but that doesn't mean that the problems of the League have the same restrictions. **_

Dick groggily opened his eyes, his face half buried in the soft down pillows. Someone jabbed a finger into his shoulder again and he looked up, blinking in the sunlight coming through the windows.

"Richard?!" Damian whispered again, his voice was urgent, and a bit panicked. Dick sat up a bit.

"Damian? What's wrong? Did something happen?" he rested his hands on the boy's shoulders, trying to blink his sleep away. Damian was pale and he wrung his hands nervously, before slipping them behind his back. He swallowed hard.

"No, I-I just had a dream that you were still dying," Damian stuttered a little. Dick examined the boy's still sleep-heavy eyes, and then stroked his hair.

"I'm okay, Damian. It's okay." Dick hugged him tight, knowing that he had probably seconds before Damian fully woke up and became his usual cold, unemotional self. Damian shuddered slightly, not moving out of the embrace for a moment.

"Obviously you are okay," Damian said, finally pulling away. "It was just a silly dream."

"I know how much dreams can hurt," Dick replied, smiling a little. He stroked Damian's flushed cheek gently and the boy leaned away from his touch, his nose scrunching a bit. Dick dropped his hand at his side. "I understand completely."

"But I am not as weak as you Richard," Damian snapped, storming out of the room. Dick laughed wryly and shook his head, yawning as he groped for his wheelchair. Finally giving up, Dick stood; he felt strong and stable on his feet as he walked to the door. When he turned the knob, the pain in his arm was a sharp ache, and then it was gone. He smiled. Dick went out into the hall, glancing around for anyone watching, and then he took a few running steps, doing a roundoff to the top of the stairs. He laughed, his arm pinching a bit, but not enough to stop him from cartwheeling across the landing and then sliding down the banister into the foyer.

"Master Richard, there are stairs," Alfred told him as he stepped out of the study. Dick grinned.

"Aw, come on, Alfred," he gracefully leapt up onto the railing again, balancing perfectly on the smooth wood. "I haven't had this much fun in days."

"Yes, well then perhaps you would have fun polishing the railing as well."

"Fine," Dick smiled and then flipped down off of the banister. He pointed at the study doors. "Is Bruce in there?"

"And Miss Kyle." Alfred headed slowly toward the kitchen. "I will put something on the stove for you."

"Thanks, Al!" Dick called after him, and then knocked gently on the Study doors. He hummed _Do You Want to Build a Snowman _under his breath and wondered how Will and his family were doing as he poked his head in the door. "Bruce?"

"Come on in Dick," Bruce said, waving him in.

"How are you feeling?" Selina asked.

"On top of the world," Dick grinned, closing the doors behind him. He walked gracefully to one of the chairs in front of Bruce's desk, jumped over the back of it, and slumped down into the cushion with one leg hanging over the arm of the chair.

"You look better," she told him with a relieved smile. Dick flashed her a half-cocked grin.

"So do you, Miss Kitty," he winked and then laughed.

"Then everything's back to normal," she laughed.

"I'll say," Bruce muttered as he sat down behind his desk. "Jason is missing again, so it's like nothing's changed."

"Jay ran off again?" Dick looked mildly interested. "With Ivy, we can only assume. Well, Burce, how was last night? Successful, unsuccessful…? Get any good leads on me or the Joker?" he quipped, picking at a loose seam on his pants.

"We couldn't get anything," Bruce lied. "Except for his interest in you, it's like he's vanished," Bruce sighed, running a hand through his hair. Dick shook his head.

"Well how very uncharacteristic of him. That's rather rude, isn't it? Make all this fuss about me and then not even show," he smirked, pulling a thread away from his pants and breaking it. Dick looked up at Bruce.

"I think we can count on the fact that he will show," Bruce muttered. Selina glanced at the two of them from where she stood beside the window, and then looked back at the book in her hands.

"Well Nightwing gets a front-row seat. I want to watch this son of a bitch burn when we take him down," Dick said, hanging his head over the back of the arm to grin goofily at Selina.

"I see that someone woke up in a good mood for murder," she commented, flipping a page in her book. Dick grinned broader, and pulled himself up to sit in the chair correctly. He glanced at Bruce.

"Did you get any sleep after patrol?" he asked.

"What do you mean 'after'?" Selina asked, glaring at Bruce. "He's still on patrol."

"Bruce," Dick said sternly. "Did you at least eat any breakfast? When was the last time you ate?"

"I don't know," Selina told him, pursing her lips. "But he ignored his breakfast."

"Okay. Come on, Bruce," Dick got up and walked around the desk, closing Bruce's laptop. He snatched the file folder out of his hands and raised his eyebrows, daring him to challenge the order. "You're gonna get something to eat and get some rest."

"Listen to him Bruce," Selina warned.

"Do I get a say in this?" Bruce demanded.

"No," they answered simultaneously. Dick tossed the file onto his desk and half-dragged Bruce out of his chair. He glanced at Selina.

"Take him down to the kitchen to get something to eat. Then take him to bed. As long as he gets some rest, you can stay with him," Dick winked. Bruce was about to protest angrily, but Selina dragged him out of the study. Dick stepped out and closed the door behind him, planting his hands on his hips as he looked around. Hearing cries from the parlor, he jogged to the door and tugged it open.

"Damian, play with me!" Tim cried, grunting as he swung his Wii remote full force toward the TV. Damian was sitting on the couch with a tablet, reading a book.

"Stop annoying me Drake," Damian hissed, "or I will show you what else that toy can be used for."

"I'm jumping in next game," Dick smiled, leaning forward and suddenly diving into a handstand.

"I feel outworked by a cripple," Tim joked, swatting with the Wii remote like a racquet. Dick walked on his hands toward them and then did a graceful backbend down, dropping onto the couch.

"I could take you both right now, and win," he grinned, draping an arm over the back cushion.

"You would both be dead before Tim even finished swinging," Damian scoffed. "We were told that Ivy's remedy would make you act like you are invincible."

"I could incapacitate you before then," Dick taunted. Tim swung the Wii remote above his head to serve the ball. Titus burst into the room, running between Tim's legs before jumping on the couch beside Damian.

"Damn it!" Tim cried as he swung wildly, missing the ball. Dick laughed, and Damian watched him get up and walk to the windows, the fingers on his left hand tapping unconsciously to a beat in his thoughts. He seemed unable to sit still as he walked around the outer wall of the parlor, lost in his own musing. He grinned suddenly, glancing to make sure Damian wasn't looking at him, and then walked up behind the boy and smacked him on the back of the head.

"What are you reading?" he asked, leaning against the back of the sofa. Damian turned on him furiously and swung the tablet, and Dick's hand shot up lightning fast, catching his wrist. He grinned in surprise, and Damian growled angrily, yanking his hand away.

"Don't _touch me_, Richard," he snapped.

"What are you going to do about it?" Dick grinned, flicking Damian's ear. Damian let out a cry of rage, suddenly dropping his tablet and leaping over the back of the couch at Dick. He dodged him as fast as he could, and Damian fell onto the carpet.

"Shit," Tim muttered, turning away from his Wii game to look at them. "What the hell was that?"

"I dunno," Dick smiled. "I feel _really _good, that's what I've been trying to tell you guys!"

"You won't feel good for long," Damian hissed, tackling him. Dick cried out in surprise and used Damian's momentum, rolling back when he hit the floor and throwing him off over his head. He laughed.

"That all you got?"

"Shut up Richard!" Damian cried, jumping up to his feet. He vaulted over the back of a chair toward Dick.

"You know me too well to think I'd stop talking!" Dick cried, grinning. He dodged to the side, and Damian went sailing into Tim. He tangled in his legs, knocking Tim down and sending them both sprawling on the floor. The TV cried out 'You lose'.

"Hey!" Tim pushed Damian off of him.

"This is Richard's fault," Damian snapped, shoving back.

"I'm so sick of you!" Tim cried, kicking Damian away from him.

"Hey now, don't get violent-" Dick was at their sides in a second, pulling Damian away by his collar. Damian punched him in the stomach. Dick coughed.

"Damian he's hurt, you idiot!" Tim shouted, tackling Damian. They tumbled away and Dick ran after them.

"Guys wait!" Damian threw Tim off of him and kicked a coffee table against the wall. When it smashed, he picked up one leg, brandishing it like a sword. Tim grabbed another leg of the broken table and gripped it tight, whirling on Damian. The boy smirked.

"Prepared to lose again, Drake?" he hissed. Tim let out a short laugh.

"You can't cheat your way out of this one, Al Ghul." Damian gave a shout, swinging at Tim. He blocked the boy's shot and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying back into the wall, where he smashed against a painting and fell as Tim rushed him.

"Guys, _careful_!" Dick cried, picking up the remaining two legs of the broken coffee table as he ran towards them. Tim raised his stick to bring it down on Damian, and Dick was there in a split second, catching Tim's blow in the crossed table legs. Damian growled and stood, swinging at Dick to take his legs out, but he leapt into the air, laughing.

"Dick! What-" he ducked as Damian swung at his head, and then swept his leg under Damian. Damian leapt out of the way, doing a handspring a few feet away.

"Can't catch me!" Dick cried, laughing again. Damian rushed at him and he turned, running across the room. Dick planted one foot on the cushion of a chair, the other stepping onto the back of it as the chair pitched backward. Damian cried out as he slammed into it, narrowly missing the legs of the chair. Tim laughed. Dick grinned as Damian rushed around the chair at him, and Dick leapt onto the couch, springing up and grabbing the light fixture. He swung one-handed and then let go, flipping over Tim. Damian shoved Tim out of the way in his pursuit for Dick, but Tim threw his table leg and hit Damian in the back of the knees, knocking him down.

"Drake!" Damian roared, whirling on him as he stood, and Dick suddenly planted his hands on Damian's shoulders, doing an aerial split over him. His feet landed on the floor and then left it again as he somersaulted away.

"Tag! You're it, Damian!"

"Stop showing off!" Tim whined, and Damian rushed up behind him, cracking him across the back of the neck with the table leg. Tim cried out and Damian shot under his legs, tripping him and going after Dick. Laughing, Dick launched himself onto a table.

"You're it, Tim!"

"The little demon hit me!"

"He _tagged _you," Dick corrected, cackling gleefully as he blocked Damian's furious blow. The boy leapt onto the table with him, and Dick easily blocked his swings, smiling as he concentrated. Dick cried out as he suddenly dropped off of the edge of the table, and Tim's table leg connected with his chest, forcing him down onto the floor.

"You're it!" Tim cried, and Dick pitched him off, running after them. Damian sprinted along the wall and flipped past the door, hiding the smile on his face. Tim jumped onto the couch, one leg on the back as he watched what Dick was going to do. Dick grinned at Tim and then cried out as a teacup saucer whizzed past his face. Damian snatched another up from the table and threw it again, and Dick ducked, diving full force at Tim. Tim dove over the back of the couch, rolling into the bookshelf. Movies rained down on top of him. Picking one up, Dick tapped him on the head.

"You're it!" he laughed, doing a back handspring out of the way as Tim threw a DVD at him. As he stood, Damian tackled Tim to the ground, raising his table leg to hit him, but a DVD disc sliced through the air and knocked it out of his hand.

"Well it looks like you're it," Tim told Damian, kicking him away and jackknifing to his feet. Damian rolled to a kneeling position.

"Damn you, Grayson!" he shouted, running toward him. Dick leapt clean over his head, his hands catching the curtains on the window. There was a crack as the curtain rod snapped off of its holder, and Dick did a handless cartwheel to the side to avoid it; as he ran away, Tim shook the curtain off of the rod and brandished it like a bo staff. Dick again evaded Damian's furious swing. "Hold still!" Damian cried in exasperation. Tim and Dick laughed.

Dick glanced over his shoulder at Damian as he ran. "You can take the boy out of the circus, but you can't-" he crashed into Bruce in the doorway, sending them both flying into the piano. There was a horrible screeching from the instrument as Bruce fell against the keys. Dick sailed clean over it.

"What is going on in here?" Bruce demanded, eyeing the chaos. Dick's head peeked over the grand piano. He grinned.

"Um… tag?" he suggested weakly, glancing at Tim, who nodded vigorously.

"If I recall rightly, tag doesn't destroy a room," Bruce growled. Dick bit his lip.

"It kinda does when you play with an acrobat, a ninja, and a detective," he pointed out. Damian pursed his lips and Tim snorted a bit, looking down.

"Oh my," Alfred sighed, stepping into the room. "I supposed all of this destruction has resulted in an appetite?" he asked mildly.

"Definitely," Tim said, eyeing Bruce as he inched toward the door. Damian suddenly shot past Tim, nearly knocking him over; Tim cried out and raced after Damian. Dick rushed for the door, but Bruce caught his arm.

"Not you," he said darkly, and Dick swallowed hard, looking at Bruce. He glanced around the room, and then looked back at Dick. "Alfred isn't cleaning this up."

"Yes, sir," Dick nodded in agreement and then moved to head toward the door again. Bruce let him go.

"Dick."

He hesitated by the door, and Bruce crossed his arms.

"If you can handle tag with the _detective _and the _ninja_, you can handle patrol tonight."

Dick grinned. "Yes, sir." He ran out after Tim and Damian, but he heard Alfred sigh.

"And those were the nice curtains."


	18. Time to Go to Work

_**He's ready to come back.**_

_**Healthy once again with nothing but scars to commemorate Dick's near death encounter with the Joker, he sets off on patrol. In the back of his mind, however, Harley continually hovers. Sometimes a blessing, and sometimes- a distraction. **_

_**Nightwing is called in by Jim Gordon to investigate where the police can't and he uncovers a bit more about the criminal underground disappearances in Gotham. He's shocked as to where it leads, and seeks to confront this new lead.**_

Nightwing felt more at home than he had in days. Diving off of the rooftop toward the dark streets below, he couldn't help his laughter. When he fired the grappling hook from the end of his truncheon, his shoulder pinched a bit, but he didn't mind. The streetlights caught the streak of red over his chest as he swung past, unable to get enough of the speed. He was drunk on it. Retracting the grappling wire, Nightwing soared back up to the rooftops and did a somersault, running along the ledge. He launched himself off of the roof again, letting out a short whoop as he fell and fired the grappling hook, the wire whipping around him as it unfurled into the night.

When he finally came to a stop on the corner of a bank rooftop, scanning as far as he could see in the fog hanging over the city, Nightwing inhaled deeply. The familiar scent of Gotham. Suddenly he felt eleven again, standing for the first time on a ledge with Batman's cape whipping around him protectively in the wind. Nightwing's hair blew gently against his forehead, and he smiled.

"_I am Superman, and I know what's happening_…" he sang to himself, spreading his arms out to his sides and tipping forward onto his toes. Nightwing breathed in slowly, tasting the brief moment of delicious suspense, the jerk in his gut, and then he fell forward off of the ledge, diving straight down. The sound of his laughter was torn away from his lips by the wind rushing past him as he let gravity do it's work; he lazily pulled out an escrima stick, but he was reluctant to press the button, savoring the feeling.

_Falling is just like flying_, he thought, smiling to himself, and fired the grappling hook at the last second. He cried out as his boots scraped the pavement, and he was jerked back upward.

Nightwing's boots landed on the ledge, and he strode forward lazily, humming merrily to himself as he caught his breath. He looked up at the sky, stars briefly visible through the haze hovering over the city, and he smiled.

"Hiya, Harley," he breathed, sliding his escrima stick into it's holster. Nightwing planted his hands on his hips and looked out over the city. "Terrific night, isn't it?" He dropped down onto the ledge, one leg dangling out over the street. Nightwing leaned back on his hands. He looked down. "I miss my crazy girl," he said quietly, smiling sadly. Still smiling, always smiling. "I always miss you. But it's quiet moments like these when I just wish you were here, telling me to be careful out here. I always liked that… that you cared for me. You were always worried that something would take me away from you. Little did I know, I should have been worried about _you_ being taken from _me._"

The breeze blew his hair back from his face again, and Nightwing smiled to himself. A scream shattered the silence before it was cut off, and he leapt to his feet. The scream hadn't been far off, and he began running in the direction it came from, skidding to a stop just above a dead-end alleyway. Nightwing looked down.

A woman stood pressed up against the wall with a look of horror on her face as a man ran a hand down her side, his other hand twirling a knife at her throat. He chuckled quietly.

"Looks like it's time to go to work, Harley," Nightwing muttered, jumping down into the alley and using the grappling wire to break his fall. His boots hit the pavement with a crack that echoed a bit in the narrow alleyway. The man spun around at the noise, pulling the woman in front of him. Nightwing cocked his head a bit. "Take it easy, guy. Nobody needs to get hurt."

"Back the hell up," the man demanded, "and no one gets hurt."

"I bet the lady'd beg to differ," Nightwing said, frowning. "Miss, are you alright?" Her eyes watered as she whimpered, the blade pushing deeper into the flesh of her neck. Nightwing's eyes narrowed. It'd be a hard shot, so close to the woman's neck; he was experienced, though. The wingding slid into his hand from his glove pocket, and he prayed that his newfound speed would work to his advantage. _Only have one shot-_

He flung the wingding with incredible speed and it missed, hitting a bit higher than he'd anticipated, sinking into the man's hand instead of knocking the blade away. He cried out in pain, and it caused him to release the woman; Nightwing quickly grabbed her and pulled her away. She clung to him in terror, her blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders. One lens of her rectangle-frame glasses was cracked, and Nightwing blinked as her fingers sifted through the hair at the back of his neck, holding onto him in fear. Her rosy perfume hit his senses, and with it came the memories.

_Harley_… He breathed hard, shaking the images of her blood on his gloves out of his mind, trying to regain focus, but it was too late. The man had pulled a gun and was advancing toward them. Nightwing stepped in front of the woman, pulling out an escrima stick, but he cried out and dropped it as a bullet ricocheted off of it's surface. The man pointed the gun at Nightwing's head.

"I'm a good shot, see?" he panted, looking furious. Nightwing held up his hands calmly. The man was smart enough to stay out of Nightwing's reach, knowing that if he got any closer he'd be taken down, and Nightwing couldn't do much with the woman hanging off of his shoulder like a panicked drowning victim. "I won't miss."

"Calm down and lower the gun. The odds are against you." Nightwing shrugged. The gunman narrowed his eyes.

"Not by my calculations. Make one move, kid, and I'll blow your damn head off."

"I wouldn't have to move to take you down," Nightwing stalled.

"That right, huh?" The man scoffed. "How you gonna do that with half your face missing?" Nightwing saw the muscles in the man's hand tighten. He put a hand on the woman's waist, getting ready to try to dodge; he didn't know if he could save her if the man pulled the trigger.

A gunshot rang out in the silence, and the man screamed as blood exploded from his hand, causing him to fire. The bullet caught the ground barely to the right of Nightwing's boot as he dove to the side, and the woman screamed, her attacker falling to the ground and clutching at his bleeding hand. Nightwing raced back out into the alley, scanning the rooftop for the other gunman, but the ledge was empty. Whoever it was was gone now.

Nightwing quickly went to the man writhing on the ground and handcuffed him. "I told you I didn't have to move to take you down." He wrapped some bandaging around the man's hands to stop the bleeding, and then turned to the woman, who still cowered against the wall, watching him. "It's alright, Ma'am. Come here, you're safe now."

"Who was that?" she asked nervously, glancing around. Nightwing shrugged.

"Best I can figure, an ally." He extended a hand toward her. "Were you going home?"

"Yes," she muttered weakly. She took his hand.

"Would you like me to escort you the rest of the way?" he smiled a little. "For your safety?" She nodded. "All right. It's alright, you're a bit catatonic, that's okay. Give me a second," he said patiently, releasing her hand. He handcuffed the man to a light pole. "I'll be back for you," he snapped.

Nightwing walked with the woman the three blocks to her house, and made sure she got all the way to her front door.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded, a bit calmer now.

"I'll be fine. So long as that creep gets justice."

"Of course. No man can even think about doing that to a woman and get away with it. Not on my watch, and not in Batman's city." Nightwing answered, smiling. The woman reached up to his face, her fingers brushing his mask.

"You're quite a gentleman, Nightwing. Walking me home, making certain that I was okay," she smiled. He laughed a little and looked down.

"Its a perk of the job, Ma'am, watching out for the citizens of Gotham. Its what I love most about what I do." Nightwing smiled.

"Your job? You're so young. Don't you have better things to do on nights like these?" she asked, pulling her jacket tighter around her shoulders.

Nightwing hesitated. _Harley… _"I used to. It's my pleasure more than my duty to defend the people of this city. It's less heroic than you think."

"Well I think it's _chivalrous. _Your significant other is a lucky person," she smiled gently, kissing his cheek. "Thank you for saving me. Good night, Nightwing."

"Have a good night, Ma'am," Nightwing replied, smiling as he stepped down the front stairs of the little house. He walked back to the spot where her attacker was still handcuffed to the light pole, with a police officer standing beside him. The red and blue lights of his squad car flashed on the cracked and dirty windows of the buildings surrounding them.

"Hey!" Nightwing called, stepping out of the shadows. The officer jumped, his hand moving toward his gun. Nightwing held up his hands. "Whoa, whoa there-" he glanced at the man, his curly ginger hair and light green eyes familiar. _What was his name… DD, they called him at the station. The Irish kid, the new one…_ "-Darcey. Darren Darcey?"

The man's eyes widened in fear. "How do you know my…?"

Nightwing tapped his arm and smiled. "Name patch, Officer Darcey." He nodded at the man cuffed to the pole. "Stopped this one from raping a woman. Take him to the station, would you?"

"Nightwing?" Darcey asked, as if seeing him for the first time. Nightwing tried to be patient.

"Yes, Officer. Nightwing," he traced the stripe across his chest.

"The Commissioner wanted to see one of you. Batman, Red Robin… whichever, he wanted to talk to one of you." Officer Darcey stuttered. Nightwing nodded slowly, uncuffing the man.

"Then let's head to the station, alright? You drive."

The drive to GCPD headquarters was a long and awkward one, and when they walked in the door, Officer Darcey took the man to be booked. Nightwing shrunk away from the fluorescent lights. It was strange, being here in his costume, not in his policeman's uniform. Commissioner Gordon strode toward him.

"I was hoping one of my men would find one of you bats," the Commissioner smiled, shaking Nightwing's hand and eyeing his uniform. "I like the red. A little more subtle than the bright blue."

"Yeah, I needed a change. Sorry, the Caped Crusader's busy. You get second best," he smiled, spreading his arms.

"You're Batman's equal, kid, I hate to break it to you. You've helped us just as much as he has, and-" Gordon lowered his voice a bit. "-you keep us in the loop. That almost makes you better than the Bat," he laughed. Nightwing smiled.

"Aw, you're making me blush, Commissioner." Nightwing smiled. "What can I do for you?" he put his hands on his hips. The Commissioner ran his hand through his hair.

"We've got a problem. We got a tip about something going down at the shipyards, but it's on private property. We can't get a warrant off of such a small tip, but…"

"I don't need a warrant." Nightwing smiled. "Consider it done, Sir."

"Be careful," Gordon warned. Nightwing laughed as he turned to the door.

"That's Red Robin's department, Commissioner." He walked out of the station smiling.

When Nightwing reached the shipyards, the fog hovering over the city had grown into a light, hazy drizzle, blurring the orange glow of the lights every dozen feet along the docks. He pressed the button on his mask that activated the heat vision, and scanned the area. It looked like two men stood on the deck of a small cargo boat. Slipping up alongside the vessel, Nightwing scaled the ropes holding it to the dock and slipped onboard unnoticed.

"Are all the goods there?" A man asked, shoving his hands in his pocket. Another guy paced by him, taking a drag from a cigarette.

"Yes. I checked four times. Now does your boss have the money or not?" he demanded, flicking his cigarette on the ground.

"Yeah, we have it."

"Well, it just went up. We ran into some issues getting out of port."

"You can't do that!" the first man cried. "That's highway robbery."

"Then you smuggle them in," the other man snapped, grinding his cigarette butt into the ground with the heel of his boot. Nightwing pressed his back against the wall of the cabin, listening. His heat vision picked up the two men's signatures on the deck, as well as somewhere around thirty others huddled in one orange glowing mass in the cargo hold. His jaw tightened. This must be the 'goods' that the two men were discussing.

"We could not take them," the first man warned.

"Then I'll sell to someone else," the other man shrugged, playing with his lighter.

"I'll double what he's paying," Nightwing called, stepping out onto the deck. Both men spun around in surprise, and the second man drew a gun.

"Who the hell are-" he asked angrily, but the first grabbed his arm in terror.

"Shut up, man, that's _Nightwing_-"

"-Yeah? Nightwing's about to be dead," the second man snarled, firing his gun. Nightwing laughed as he dodged the bullets, sprinting towards them. He launched himself into the air, his outstretched feet landing on the gunman's chest, and he knocked him to the ground.

"I've been there. Not as much fun as you might think. _I _think people lie about seeing gates or something," Nightwing chatted, squatting on the man's chest. He wheezed. "But that could just be me."

"Don't move!" The other man cried, and Nightwing felt the cold metal of a gun barrel press against his head. He smiled a little, took a deep breath, and then grabbed the gun, shoving it upward faster than the man could pull the trigger. The bullet flew harmlessly into the night as Nightwing twisted the gun out of the man's hand and then brought the heel of his hand up into the buyer's chin. The man staggered backwards, clutching his jaw.

"I'll be right with you," Nightwing called to him, walking back to the seller, who had begun to crawl towards the edge of the boat. Whistling merrily, Nightwing dragged him to the side and handcuffed him to the railing. He leaned down to look in his face. "Now _you_, I'm not going to have the most patience with. Do you have anything you'd like to tell me?"

"Go to hell," the man spat. Nightwing rolled his eyes and then picked the man up by the collar of his shirt. "Hey, what are you-!?"

He pitched the man over the edge of the railing, and there was a hollow _clang _as the handcuffs caught him, dangling over the water.

"Are you feeling more talkative?" Nightwing asked, turning back to the deck. The buyer had made a run for it, and was almost completely down the gangplank. Running towards the edge, Nightwing caught the railing and then used his upper body to push himself down toward the docks, sailing through the air and landing on the wood almost soundlessly, cutting the man off. "We weren't finished with our conversation."

"I don't have anything to say to you!" he cried in terror, trembling slightly.

"You know, I'm a lot _nicer _than some of my coworkers. I don't like to beat information out of people, but if you'd rather talk to Batman or Batgirl… I won't be offended." Nightwing put his hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes. It was true, he didn't quite follow in the footsteps of his mentor in terms of interrogation, but it was almost as effective to threaten it at the hands of Batman. Even when he wasn't there, Batman struck fear into criminals. His name and reputation were useful tools.

"Oh God, please no!" the man pleaded. "I mean, I'm new at this, just let me off easy. Please!"

"Who's your boss?" Nightwing asked. "And why would he trust you with something like this, _alone, _no less, if you were new?"

"We're all new. It's a freaking battlefield out there for upstarts with what's been going on," the man stuttered. "Everyone wants to make their buck."

"What exactly _has _been going on? Who's taking you all out?"

"Man I don't know!" he cried. "All I know is that's it's rougher than ever out there for any of the rings, new people have started filling in. No one knows what's been going on. All I know, is that some of the real criminals, the _villains_, are doing something," he whispered, shrugging. "What I heard, Red Hood's at the middle of it."

Nightwing's jaw tightened. "It sounds like he's doing my job for me, making life harder for you scumbags." Police sirens wailed closer down the streets. "Good. Looks like I've created just enough probable cause for Gordon to come pick you up. Is there anything you can tell me about the Joker?"

"The Joker?" the man asked frowning. "Alls I've heard outa him is the hit out on you. I think he's been going after the police force, though."

_It was worth a shot,_ Nightwing shrugged. "Thanks. Don't worry, if you like roughing it out in Gotham, you'll _love _Blackgate." He handcuffed him to the dock railing as Gordon's police car pulled up.

"Hey," the man whined. "Cut me a break. I told you everything I know!"

"I _am _cutting you a break." Nightwing knelt in front of him, his eyes narrowed. "You won't get life for this, duh. I'm giving you a second chance. Do yourself a favor, and when you get _out _of prison, _stay_ out." He stood and walked toward Gordon, pointing at the boat. "Buyer is there, Seller is hanging over the railing, and I think there are thirty or so women in the cargo hold. Smuggling and whatnot, now if you'll excuse me, I've got someone I need to see."

"Thanks," Gordon told him. "Should I feel sorry for this someone?" Gordon joked, raising an eyebrow.

"Probably not as sorry as he'll feel in a while," Nightwing muttered, firing a grappling hook into the roof of an old cannery building and taking off into the night.


	19. I Would Never Let You Fall

_**The truth can free or imprison a man.**_

_**Gotham is calm, yet in turmoil underneath. The Joker and Lex Luthor are plotting, going in and out of Gotham. No one knows what they're doing. No one, except possibly Jason. Nightwing got a tip that the Red Hood could be connected to the criminal disappearances, and he goes to confront his brother. Maybe he isn't so reformed after all.**_

_**But Nightwing may bite off more than he can chew. When he finds him, Red Hood seems to be running a bigger operation than Nightwing had first anticipated. With- not to his surprise- Poison Ivy. Quickly distracted from the disappearances, Red Hood and Ivy have something to show him- but can he handle the truth?**_

Red Hood jumped when the front door of the safe house practically flew off of it's hinges, slamming against the wall as it banged open.

Nightwing ignored Ivy as he stormed into the room, beelining for Red Hood, and then threw him against the wall, holding him by his coat collar. Still coming down off of the healant that Poison Ivy had administered, Nightwing was stronger, and Red Hood was a bit alarmed at his inability to break free.

"What the _hell _have you done, Jason!?" Nightwing shouted, looking furious. "I go to bust up a slave trade deal, and the buyer tells me that _you _are the center of organized crime in Gotham at the moment! What. Did you. Do!?" His hands tightened on Red Hood's coat, pressing against his neck.

"Relax!" Red Hood pleaded. "I don't know who's been lying to you, but I haven't done anything like that in months. How the hell did you find me anyway?!" he demanded, suddenly furious.

"I planted a tracker on you," Nightwing said angrily, still not releasing his grip. "He said that the 'villains' were up to something, and that _you _were the sponsor. If you're up to something, Jason, I swear to God-" he slammed Red Hood against the wall with dizzying force. "-I'll put you back in prison _myself._ Blackgate, not the shitty cells they keep half-assed smugglers in, either. You'll be in maximum security this time, you son of a bitch- now what is this you're organizing!?" His voice had risen to a shout.

"You put a tracker on me!" Jason cried, not paying attention as he pulled his helmet off to check it. "Not cool!"

Nightwing's jaw clenched and he punched Jason as hard as he could, knocking him to the floor. He dragged him into a sitting position against the wall and grabbed his face.

"I'm not stupid enough to put it in your damn helmet," he hissed. "Now try to focus. I know that's always been _hard _for you, so I'll make this short. _Again. _Jason. What the hell have you gotten yourself into now!?"

"What the hell!?" Jason cried, grabbing his nose. "I told you: _I'm not planning anything_!" He glared at Nightwing. "I'm all reformed and shit," he muttered with a smirk. Nightwing's hand tightened painfully on Jason's jaw.

"Don't be a smart-ass. I know when you're lying to me, little brother, and I swear I will beat the truth out of you one way or another." Nightwing said darkly. "I'm not playing anymore."

"Why don't we all calm down?" Ivy asked in a bored voice, sitting on a table. "Face it, the idiot's too dumb to plan something. Besides, you said, what, _one _person said he was up to something? Why don't you think about it for a second?" She examined her nails. "Not that I am opposed to a dogfight, but you do have an unfair advantage. And if you smash in his face, he really has nothing going for him."

Nightwing seemed to consider her words, and then he released Jason, straightening up. "She's right. I don't believe you're innocent of _anything_, but I _do _have an unfair advantage." Nightwing glared down at him, but he paused to glance over his shoulder at Ivy, his voice softening a bit. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"Don't go all mushy," she sighed. "It's not like I jumped at the chance. But apparently it would be 'very upsetting' if you died." She rolled her eyes.

Nightwing smirked. "I _am _the mushy one. And I wouldn't have _died._" He looked down at Jason, hesitating before he held a hand out to help him up. Jason took it, grunting as he got to his feet.

"Thanks babe," he smirked at Ivy.

"I think I miss when you thought you were cute with stupid names," she muttered. Nightwing glanced around the room. It was small and dirty with two boarded up windows. There were two tables set up in the room in an L shape. They were covered in a mini armory of guns in cases, knives, ammo, and other weapons. "Home security," Ivy told him with a small grin as she saw him looking at all of it.

"Where did you get all of this?" Nightwing looked straight at Jason, his eyes narrowing.

Jason shrugged. "Some drug lords. The particularly rare stuff we got from a lucky smuggling," he said indicating some crates in the corner. "Cheshire brought by some of the bladed weapons. You know, around."

Nightwing rubbed his temples. "You're making it _incredibly _hard to not hit you again. You can't have all this stuff and expect me to believe that you're doing absolutely nothing with it."

"Hey, it isn't mine. I've got a place remember." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, like Ivy said, it's home defense. Have you seen the neighborhood?" Jason pulled up a chair, spinning it around to sit on it backwards.

Nightwing looked at him evenly. "Whose is it then? Whose house are you defending?" he looked around, and then his eyes met Jason's again.

"I can't think of anyone who would want to live here," Jason mocked. "It's just the safehouse. You know, where the Team Alpha can catch a break, meet up."

"Try again," Ivy muttered, stretching her arms over her head.

"Damn it!" Jason cussed. "I will come up with a name."

"So let me get this straight. You are _not _planning anything, _no one _lives here, your arsenal is for _defense _only, and there is most _certainly _not a team of villains or whatever that you, of course, are _not _leading." Nightwing said in irritation, his hands on his hips.

"Yup," Jason smiled before glaring at Ivy. "I'm kinda kept out of the loop on everything," he muttered darkly.

"Well, you ruin everything you touch, to be fair." She shrugged, a smile playing at her lips.

"Seriously? After the gas fiasco, you still try and keep things from me?"

"You were _supposed _to be gassed for the hundredth time," she snapped.

"How the hell is me getting gassed part of a plan?!"

"Harley thought it'd be better not to have a bunch of people faking being unconscious. _And _Joker probably knows your helmet has an air filter."

"So what?" Jason cried. They'd clearly argued this before.

"Next time _don't _listen to a letter, and let the Joker shoot you."

Nightwing stared between them for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Hold up, hold up- did you just- So what you're saying, Jason, is that you're 'kept out of the loop', but _she_-" he pointed at Ivy. "-is _not._" Nightwing looked at Ivy, cocking his head a bit.

"Well, she _tried_ to keep me out of the loop," Jason said with a smirk. "But it wasn't that hard to figure out. Besides, she needed me."

"Your connections," Ivy snapped, "I needed your connections."

"God damn it-" Nightwing closed his eyes, calming himself. "Jason, you have about thirty seconds to explain this. _What _wasn't hard to figure out?! _What _connections!?" he demanded in exasperation, nearing the end of his patience.

"Don't pitch a fit." Jason put his chin on his hands as he leaned on the backrest of the chair. "Bruce is, mostly, chill knowing something's up and everything. We're Batman sanctioned."

"Clearly he didn't feel the need to share with me," Nightwing said angrily. "If you don't want to tell me, _fine. _I'll find out, Jason."

"Well, he doesn't _exactly_ know," Jason glanced at Ivy with a knowing grin. "But Selina talked to him."

"Okay!? You going to make me ask, Todd, or can we skip this part?" Nightwing sighed, looking at him as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Hey, we're just the messengers," Jason shrugged. "Take your complaints to the head honcho."

"Jason!" Nightwing snapped. "What the hell is going on? Who is in charge?"

"This is all completely under control, but you aren't exactly supposed to be here. So you should kinda leave."

"Not until you tell me what is going on and who is in charge." Nightwing crossed his arms, glaring at them both.

"Don't worry," Jason tried to placate him. "You'll be brought in on this eventually. It's kinda gonna be a big deal."

"That is not helping!" Nightwing cried in frustration. "If I am going to be involved in this, I want to know what's going on."

"Dick," Ivy said, and his head snapped toward her. "You have to trust us. We know what we got into and who we're following."

"I want to believe you," Nightwing groaned. "But I need something to let me know whoever this is wouldn't be leading us to failure."

"I would never let you fall," a familiar voice whispered behind him. Nightwing froze, and it felt like his blood ran cold. He slowly turned around, hardly daring to hope. She was standing there, her expression unreadable and her arms crossed across the black and red corset of her costume.

Nightwing stared directly into the two blue eyes that pierced his from within a black mask.

"Harley?" he breathed.


	20. Flying Together

"_**Falling is just like flying," she whispered, tracing his gorgeous smile with her finger gently. He gazed at her lovingly.**_

"_**If I fall, I'm taking you with… me…" Dick's smile slowly faded. Lee's hand froze, hovering in the air between them. Both of their eyes widened in identical masks of horror as they recognized the words and who had spoken them before. A strangled breath escaped from Lee's throat and Dick reflexively pulled her stiff body into his arms; her face pressed into his collar bone as his hands balled into fists against her back. His eyes stared forward from a face twisted in pain.**_

Harley stood in an open doorway. Her blonde hair was down, tumbling over her shoulders. Her right hand played nervously with the top of her left glove as she glanced over at Ivy. She looked almost exactly the same as the day she had died, with only minor changes. Her belt was different with more pockets and a different holster that was longer with a second belt attaching it around her thigh; this one held a real gun. Her boots were different, ending below the knee. And she had more scars on her shoulders, arms, and the bit of exposed skin below her corset. The stab wound on the side of her stomach was a long gash with it's white burnt edges.

She dropped her hands to her side as she looked back at Nightwing, her jaw clenching a little. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Nightwing didn't answer, blinking slowly as he stumbled to the side. It felt like his breath had been pulled from his lungs and he was falling without a parachute, the pressure preventing him from inhaling any deeper than a short gasp as he reached for the table, gripping the sides. He inhaled slowly. His dark hair fell over his eyes as he pinched them shut. He was terrified that when he looked up, she'd be gone like so many other hallucinations. Or worse.

She'd actually be there.

His arms trembled weakly as he tried to form a coherent thought in his head. The pain was almost worse than when she'd died, and he breathed deeply, glancing up. "You-" he groaned, looking back at the table. He was confused, furious, strained, hurt, and lost- and he remained bent over the table, gripping the sides tightly. If he let go, he'd fall.

"So," Jason cleared his throat. "We're gonna leave." He pointed at the exit, shuffling toward it. Ivy glanced at Harley, who nodded once, before jumping off the table. The front door clicked closed behind them.

So," she cleared her throat. "Red." She raised one eyebrow, eyeing the stripe across his chest.

Nightwing didn't move, his shoulders tensed. Harley could hear his controlled breathing, and when he finally spoke, he didn't look up.

"You- how could- _why_?" he stuttered weakly.

She sighed. "It was part of the plan." She walked past him to one of the tables. Taking her gloves off and laying them aside, she pulled out her gun. She ejected the clip and pulled back the slide, ejecting the shell and catching it. "I'm sorry," she said coolly as she put the gun away.

"You… you _died _in my arms. I buried you. I _mourned you._ How could you… let me believe you were dead for a _month_!? How could you leave me alone!?" he breathed, biting down on his lip. Her fingers meticulously lined up the ammo.

"I had to die... in a sense. Only Ivy knew I was alive until we had to tell Jason and Selina. It was easier- better if everyone believed it." She glanced down at the floor as she crossed her arms. Nightwing didn't look at her, his back still to her.

"I believed it, all right," he whispered hoarsely. "I spent entire nights _believing _it, screaming my way through sleep, until I finally gave up on resting. Believe me, I _believed _it." Harley said nothing, staring at the wall over his shoulder. Nightwing took a deep, shuddering breath, unsteadily letting go of the table and taking his mask off. He turned it over in his hands. "Say something." She glanced at him, her eyes distant before her gaze flicked to his hands. She slowly pulled her mask off, tossing it on the table beside her.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked quietly.

"_Anything_," he answered weakly, looking up. When he tried to meet her eyes, he couldn't; Dick turned away, closing his eyes.

"You look better," she commented mildly. He nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. He'd promised himself- promised _her_- that he wouldn't cry over her anymore.

"I feel better," he said hoarsely, and then cleared his throat. "She… Ivy helped. Not the Antitoxin, but something similar. Is that how you…?" he trailed off. She nodded slowly.

"She gave it to me when the Joker pushed me out the window. The healing was faster after the initial wounds healed." While her wounds had healed quickly in Arkham, it was once she was out that the Antitoxin had really set in. Her wounds had healed quickly since then, and it had simply been a matter of acting. She cleared her throat. "I'm also immune to most poisons. It may have burned at the surface, but it didn't even enter my bloodstream."

"Too bad she couldn't heal the heartbreak," he breathed, looking up at the wall. Dick finally turned around, his jaw clenched tight as his light eyes met hers. She met his gaze, her face and eyes emotionless. Dick stared at her, his face open. She could see every bit of pain and confusion etched in his features. After she didn't speak for a moment, he whispered. "Is that how it's going to be? Are you going to keep pushing me away; tell me it's for my own safety? You don't want to see me get hurt, so you're going to keep me at a distance?" He examined her, his blue eyes piercing. "I've held on for _so long_, Harley. I've tried to be with you despite every attempt you made to shove me away, and… how much longer can I hold on? How much longer do I _have _to hold on before you finally let me in?"

"I was trying to spare you from the heartbreak of my death," she snapped, her eyes flashing angrily. "But you didn't listen." She leaned against the table, her hands gripping the edge.

"I didn't _want _to be spared!" he suddenly shouted, making her jump a bit. "I would rather have spent your final days _with you _than how I did! _Alone!_ I'd do it all the exact same way! I'd try _harder _to make you stay!"

"Then all of those people would have died," she hissed. "I did what I did out of necessity." Dick's jaw clenched angrily, and he looked away, his mask still in his hand.

"You could have told me. I could have _helped._"

"He found out about the two of us as Dick and Lee so easily that I couldn't risk being together as Harley Quinn and Nightwing." She glanced away. "We both know what happened because he _did_ find out about it." Her hand clenched the table harder.

"It was worth the wounds," Dick whispered, looking down.

"Was it?" she asked harshly. "Would it have been worth giving up your arm, acrobatics, and possibly Nightwing?"

"I regret that the Joker found out," Dick snapped. "I _don't _regret ever having been with you. So _yes. _You would have been worth everything. You _are _worth everything." Harley opened her mouth before snapping it closed. She crossed her arms, breathing deeply through her nose. He looked up at her. "But none of that matters now. You're _here._"

"Yes. And so are you," she sighed. "You manage to get in the middle and mess up all of my plans." She puckered her lips as she shook her head slightly. Dick stared at her for a moment, and then closed the gap between them, taking her face into his hands and kissing her fiercely. One hand slid into her hair as he kissed her harder, the cold belief that she was actually there crushing down on him. She pushed him away, her hands on his chest. She wouldn't meet his eyes; she stared down at the ground, her jaw set.

"Don't do this to me, Harley," he pleaded weakly. His hands found her hips, but he didn't attempt to pull her any closer. She closed her eyes, her body tense as she remained still. "Please," Dick begged, wanting so desperately to hold her. She grabbed his hands, pushing them back by his sides, and cleared her throat as she stepped away.

"Will and his family are safe right?" she whispered, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes," Dick said calmly, again stepping towards her and putting a hand on her cheek, making her look at him. Her eyes remained distant as she blinked slowly.

"Good," Harley swallowed hard. Leaning down, Dick kissed her again, more gently this time. He inhaled deeply, holding her close. Harley snapped out of his arms, moving away to the other table. She bent her head down as she fiddled with one of the knives.

"Stop," she commanded. Dick didn't move, watching her.

"What did I do?" he asked weakly, spreading his arms. "Is it me? Have I done something so awful that you can't- Harley, I-" he looked down, his broad shoulders slumping. "-what do I have to do?"

"I never said this was about you," she said quietly, head bent.

"Do _you _not love me anymore?" he asked, sounding close to a breaking point. "Because I still love you." She spun to face him.

"Do you?" she asked, her eyes wide and expressive and her mouth a hard line. "Because from what I've heard you've _moved on_." The color drained from Dick's face as he realized what Jason must have told her.

"Shit, Harley," he stuttered. "That was just-"

"-You don't have to explain," she said distantly.

"No, it was _nothing_."

"That isn't what I heard."

"Oh, God. I am so-"

"-Don't apologize," she sighed, her face hard.

"But I- and she was-" he stuttered.

"-she _was_ your fiancee."

"It didn't mean anything! And you were-"

"-I was dead," she agreed.

"I was in a bad place and she-"

"-I really don't need to hear about it," she interrupted.

"I mean, I thought you would have wanted me to be happy."

"I said 'don't mourn me' not move on," she snapped. Dick opened his mouth before he closed it again.

"Wait." A grin spread across his face. She couldn't stop her heart from leaping ever so slightly. "Are you jealous?" Harley blushed and looked away; her first genuine emotion he'd seen. Dick wanted to rush to her, to hold her close, but he restrained himself, terrified of being rejected again. "Harley… I'd been through a lot. There's nothing I can say that can make what I did right, but… she was never a replacement, Harley, nothing could replace you. You have to understand that. She was a crutch. A band aid; a painkiller to just make the hurt go away for a while- I was _lost_ without you." He shook his head slowly. "I was lost and in pain and confused- I shouldn't have done it. I hate myself for doing it, and I'd change it if I could. I can't change the past, but I _want _to change the future. I want to be with _you_, Harley, it's _always _been you."

Harley closed her eyes and hugged herself as she slowly shook her head back and forth. She could feel her emotionless facade crumbling. "How can you still say that after I hurt you as much as I have?" her voice cracked. Dick took a hesitant step toward her.

"The answer is the same as it has been since we met," he whispered. "I love you." She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide. He took another step toward her. She clamped a hand over her mouth as she hiccuped a sob. Unable to refrain any longer, Harley rushed forward, burying her face in his chest.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. Dick held her tight and stroked her hair, pressing his lips to her forehead and smiling as he closed his eyes.

"And my answer is the same again," he said gently, taking a deep breath. "I forgive you. For _everything_, Harley, you don't have to apologize." She stared up at him, blinking back the tears.

"Yes I do. I should have to beg forgiveness every day for the rest of my life." She tilted her head down again, unable to look him in the eyes. "I don't deserve you."

"You're right. You deserve so much better than me. But you're kinda stuck with me," he laughed weakly, holding her like he'd never let her go again. "Just don't do that _again_, all right?"

"I promise to really be dead next time I die," she smiled weakly before glaring at him. "If you don't give up like you did. I saw it in your eyes, at that warehouse. You gave up on life. Never do that again," she demanded, jabbing his chest. Dick's smile faded.

"You… that was really you. I wasn't hallucinating again- you were really there, weren't you?" he said quietly, taking a hand away from her waist to stroke her cheek gently.

"Yes," she whispered, blushing. "I would have-I mean Batman got there first- I was- and I would have been there but….I'm sorry," she trailed off. "I was also at the hospital," she admitted like an ashamed child.

"What did I tell you about apologizing?" he smiled a little, holding her close. "Harley, I'm not mad. I'm just sorry you had to see me like that. As for the hospital… Sometimes when I didn't sleep, or when I didn't eat for a while, I'd see you. I just wanted to make sure that you were actually _there _and not a figment of my imagination. I promise. As long as you're here, I won't ever give up." Dick smiled, kissing her forehead gently.

"I'd see you too," she whispered, burying her face in his collarbone. "I'd dream about you all the time, and I would try and see you whenever I could. I followed you a lot," she giggled, embarrassed.

Hearing her laugh made Dick's heart soar. "You must have heard me talking to you all the time," Dick laughed, wrapping his arms around her protectively. "You never answered."

"I might have if I had heard," she mumbled. He smiled, pulling away to look in her eyes. He leaned closer to her, his lips hovering by hers. He didn't want to be pushed away again, but he closed the gap anyway, his lips soft on hers. Harley sighed longingly into the kiss, wrapping her fingers in his hair. Dick kissed her with more confidence, his brow furrowed earnestly as he pulled her close, tightening his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. She twisted the fingers of one hand through the ends of his hair as she slid the other to his cheek, cupping his face. She loved the feel of the familiar way she fit against him, moaning softly. His fingers slipped through her belt loops as he pulled her closer, kissing her hungrily as he leaned against the table. The comm in his ear crackled to life.

"Nightwing, everything alright out there?" Robin asked. Dick's lips fell away from Harley's. She looked at him, her eyes boring desperately into his. She had never thought he'd be here tonight, or even if he would want to see her, but now that he was here with her, she didn't want to give him up for a second.

"Just fine, Damian-" Dick kissed Harley gently, panting a bit. "-don't expect me back home tonight." He pulled the comm out of his ear, kissing Harley passionately. She responded desperately for a moment before weakly breaking away.

"Dick," Harley mumbled as he kissed down her neck, one of his thumbs rubbing over the scar on her side as the other held her hips close to him. She groaned, her hand clutching at his back. "I need to tell you something," she sighed weakly, his lips kissing the hollow of her throat. She gave up and pulled the top of his skin suit over his head, guiding him as she walked backward. Her lips found his as she dropped his shirt to the floor, her back running into the door. She groped around behind her for the door handle as his hands cupped her face.

They stumbled backward when the door opened, falling back onto her bed as Harley's knees hit it. Dick planted his hands on either side to keep from falling on her as she laughed. She reached up to pull his lips back down to hers.

"What did you want to tell me?" his lips brushed hers, his eyes closed. Every muscle in his torso was tense, holding himself above her; he didn't wait for her to speak as he sat up, untying her corset gently. She ran her hands along his back, kissing the scar on his shoulder softly. Dick moaned, shuddering a bit as he finally pulled her corset open, his lips on her skin and kissing down her stomach sending a shock up her spine. With a laugh, she pulled his shoulder down and rolled over, sitting on his hips. She bent forward and kissed his neck, trailing her hands up his arms and pinning them above his head.

"I love you," she whispered, nuzzling his neck.

Dick bit his lip, his eyes closed. "I love you too. I fell for you the moment I met you, Harley," he breathed, that stupid grin spreading over his face. "And I'm taking you with me." Harley smiled, releasing his hands to cup either side of his face. One of his hands went to her hip and the other to her thigh.

"As long as we're flying together," she told him, leaning down to kiss him again.


	21. Somehow I'm Not Surprised

_**She's back.**_

_**While Dick Grayson, in happiness and disbelief, just wants to hold her in his arms, there are other things to be done. Like telling his family that his once-dead girlfriend is back on her feet, not uncommon in the Batman Family. **_

_**The disappearances in Gotham were Harley. But she knows something he doesn't- just what the Joker and Lex Luthor are planning. They're together, and they're dangerous.**_

The sunlight streamed in through the half open window. Harley was sprawled across her back, one hand above her on the pillow and the other resting next to Dick's chest. Her mouth was slightly open as she breathed quietly, her eyelids twitching a little as she slept. Dick gently traced a thumb along her jaw, lying on his side. One elbow was propped up on the pillows, his head resting against his hand as he tried to keep his tired eyes open. He'd been too afraid to fall asleep, terrified that it would all be a dream when he woke up.

Dick glanced around the room. It was small but clean with minimal furniture. An old, tarnished mirror sat on top of a beaten dresser, and wedged up in the corner of it's frame was a picture. Dick smiled at the familiar Haly's Circus photo stip of the two of them. Harley yawned, stretching her arms out as she rolled onto her side. Her eyes flew open as her hands hit Dick's chest.

"Oh hello," she mumbled with a smile, a blush creeping into her cheeks as she recalled their passionate night before. She'd missed him so much, and he hadn't been able to keep his hands off of her. It had been like the first time, but with none of the regret she'd felt then.

"Good morning." Dick's voice was soft, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his chest. She rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"I missed you," she told him quietly.

"I know the feeling," Dick smiled, his thumb stroking down her spine gently.

"Don't yell at me," she said, kissing his chest, "but I'm still sorry."

He closed his eyes, pressing his lips to her hair as he held her close. Harley felt safe in his warm embrace, like nothing could ever hurt her again as long as he was there. "I'm sorry, too."

"For what?" she asked, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him. "You didn't do anything wrong," she told him gently.

"I know. But it was hard enough for me, to lose you. You had to watch me go through that, and no one should ever have to see someone they love in the state I was in. I'm sorry you had to see that." Dick smiled a little, his eyes still closed relaxedly. "And _I did _do something wrong, I'm sorry about… I'm so sorry about Barbara, Harley, I still feel…" he bit his lip. Harley sat up, pulling the sheets around her.

"That's still nothing to be sorry for," she told him, leaning her head to the side as her messy hair fell over her shoulder. Harley knew she couldn't be mad at him for what he'd done; she'd only assumed it had meant he didn't love her anymore. "I _was_ dead. And everything, _everything_ you went through could have been avoided if I just told you." She closed her eyes, clenching her hands in her lap. Dick rolled onto his back, taking her hand gently as he looked up at her.

"You were right, though, you _couldn't _tell me. Whatever it is you're doing, I trust you. I trust that you did what you did because there was no other way." His blue eyes met hers earnestly, dark circles under them making the blue more intense. Dick laced his fingers with hers in her lap, his other hand under his head; the sheets gathered around his waist, leaving his scarred torso exposed. "And for the record, I'm still sorry about it. Though, in your defense, I _did _call Barbara 'Harley' more than once," Dick smiled a little, biting his lip again. She didn't return the smile.

"I couldn't face you," she breathed, hanging her head down. "I couldn't face your pain after my death, or how to tell you I was alive. Ivy and I had always planned it that way, but then after Arkham, everything with you happened so fast. And I just... I don't know. I knew he wouldn't rest until he killed me, so I let him think he did. It made it easier, but I couldn't bear doing everything I had to do to learn what I needed to know, if I thought about what you would say or how disappointed you would be. It's _almost _the truth to say I didn't tell you my death was fake because that's how Red and I planned it, but…" She took a deep breath.

"It was hard," she admitted weakly. "I did this all because I wanted to be good... for you. But the Joker... I couldn't find how to stop him _and _be good. I knew you wouldn't let me, and I didn't want to do it, but I knew it had to be done. That's why I kept telling you not to love me; I thought it would be easier for both of us if you hated me when I died, but then… you didn't, and I couldn't think or _breathe_ wondering if you would still love me when you did see me again. And…" she trailed off, her voice quiet. "The unselfish part, the one that knows that if I love you as much as I do, I should want the best for you, knew that I should want you not to love me. That with all I've done, no matter what I do now, I could never be good enough. That I should want you to find someone good." Someone like Barbara.

"I _have_ found someone good," Dick whispered, squeezing her hand. "Harley, look at me." When she looked up, he stared at her seriously. "Listen to me. You can't change what you did in the past, but you can attempt to rectify it. And you _have. _In so many ways, you've proved yourself. You defied the man who, for two years, you thought you loved. You went against everything you knew to save people. To save _me. _I'm not going to lie to you. I lose sleep some nights, wondering how many people Jason has hurt. Or even _Damian. _You too. But then I think: you know what? I'd rather lie awake and wonder about it with you next to me than have to think about it _and_ mourn what could have been. Like Jason and Damian- I believe that you're a good person, Harley. And if nothing else; I can help you be a better one." Dick smiled a little, stroking her hand with his thumb.

"You'd be one of the only one's to say that," she said bitterly. "Can you honestly tell me that I could do anything, to make…. the family of one of those police officer's forgive me? I ruined so many people's lives, and I even _enjoyed_ it." She shook her head slowly, disgusted in herself. "Now I think 'what would I do if someone had taken you from me like that'? And I know I would never forgive that person."

"You can't dwell on that." Dick sat up, taking her face in his hands. "You're new to the game, so I'll let you in on a secret. _No _hero's record goes unblemished. That's something I had to learn the hard way. Not one of us is the saint we're made to be; we've all killed someone. We've all hurt people, and the truly good ones like Superman or Batman- have been lucky enough to save more than they've hurt. I've…" He trailed off, biting his lip. "...If you let it control you, if you focus on the _wrong _you've done, it'll destroy you. You have to accept it and move on. In time, you forgive yourself, but you never forget it. All you can do is bounce back and use it- otherwise… what are we but vengeful ghosts, roaming the city of the past? Let what you've done _drive_ you, not hold you back. Use it to your advantage. You can either let it consume you, or overcome it. Make people wonder why you're still smiling." Dick held her face, watching her earnestly. His lips met hers softly, and when the kiss broke off, he pressed his forehead to hers. His blue eyes were gentle and loving and tired and… completely open. He hid nothing from her; he was trusting and careless, letting her in without hesitation. "I'll be right here to help you, every step of the way," Dick murmured, his thumb tracing along her cheekbone. "Promise."

"Thank you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him to pull him close. She closed her eyes, fighting the sudden urge to cry. "I don't know what I'd do without you," she choked. Harley clung to him tightly for a moment before leaning away, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Well, I'd either still be with the Joker or dead, so…"

"So you're stuck with me," Dick grinned, and then kissed her nose. "Come on, you know I wouldn't have let you stay with him." He said it so casually, like it was obvious. He laid down and pulled Harley close, his arm around her shoulders. "I'm not used to being awake during the day. What does one even _do _when the sun is out?" he joked.

"I'm sure we can find something," she mumbled, her lips close to his ear. Dick smiled and closed his eyes. It had been a while since he'd genuinely smiled, and now he couldn't seem to stop.

"As long as there won't be any Jason or Ivy busting in," he laughed. "As long as its just the two of us." Harley leaned away from him, her blue eyes suddenly troubled.

"Dick," she whispered nervously. "There is something I need to-" She cut off in a scream as Robin kicked in the door. Dick cried out in surprise and shielded Harley. When the room was quiet again, Dick looked up at Robin in horror.

"What in the _hell_ are you doing!?" he demanded in exasperation, his arm still protectively around Harley.

"I could ask you the same thing," Robin snapped. He glared at Harley. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"Hi Damian," she muttered weakly, blushing furiously as she clutched at the blankets. Dick's hand rested on Harley's shoulder as he propped himself up on one elbow, his eyes narrowing.

"Is _he _with you!?" Dick said angrily, his cheeks pinkening a bit.

"No," Damian scoffed. "I came to find you when you wouldn't answer your comm. He was unworried."

"You shouldn't have been worried, either!" Dick cried. "I told you not to wait on me, now get the hell out of here!"

"I want an explanation," Robin demanded, crossing his arms and jutting his chin out in an imitation of his father. Dick pinched the bridge of his nose angrily.

"Just- _go, _Damian, I'll be right out, just go," he pleaded, running a hand through his hair. Robin glared at him for a moment before storming out of the room, slamming the broken door behind him.

"Should I let you two talk this out?" Harley asked quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Dick laughed, shaking his head.

"No, it's fine. I'm sorry he's… protective… I'll handle it." Dick tugged the pants of his Nightwing uniform on, kissed Harley's head, and then went out the door, closing it quietly behind him. He glanced at Robin and then leaned down, picking up his shirt and shaking it out. "You didn't need to worry about me, Damian," he said lightly, a smile playing at his lips.

"I wasn't, but I guess I _should _have been worried," Robin hissed. Dick smiled and pulled his shirt over his head, leaning against a table.

"Oh? And why's that?" he asked, crossing his arms. Robin glanced at the bedroom door.

"How long have you known?" he demanded, ignoring Dick's question.

"I found out last night. Jason's known longer," he commented quietly, rubbing his tired eyes.

"So she breaks you for a whole month, and after one night, you go running back."

"It's complicated." Dick's voice was quieter than before.

"Is it? Where has she been? What has she been doing while you were suffering?" Robin demanded. Dick looked down.

"If I tell you, can you promise me one thing?"

"I will make no promises," Robin muttered.

"Let _me_ tell the others," Dick looked at him seriously. "Let me tell Bruce."

"There is no way I am being the one to tell the others," Robin snapped. He jumped slightly as Harley flung the door open. She was wearing a white tank top and jeans.

"Are you sure?" she demanded into a cell phone, walking past them. She flipped open a chromebook, logging in. "I'm checking now."

Dick glanced at Robin, and then walked to Harley, a hand on her back gently as he looked over her shoulder at the laptop. Harley pulled up a news channel.

"Shit," she swore as the headline popped up.

Superman Missing. Watch live news broadcast below.

Harley paced away from the computer. "Thanks for the heads up Selina, you're right," she muttered. "It's starting. You know what to do." She hung up and turned to face Dick. His brow was furrowed in worry as he met her eyes, biting his lip.

"What's starting? What do you mean?" he asked, Robin materializing beside them and glancing at the computer screen.

"We need to get everyone together," she told him. "Damian, can you get ahold of Red Robin and Batgirl?"

"Don't give me orders," he snapped. "I'll be in the cave." He marched furiously from the room.

"Dick I promise I'm going to explain everything." Harley put her hands on his chest, looking up at him with wide, pleading eyes. Dick took her hand and kissed her passionately, and then looked at her with a smile.

"I trust you. Whatever you need me to do." He stroked her cheek gently.

"Call a meeting at the Batcave. Selina and Jason can placate everyone when they get there." She put her hand over his. "We need all the help we can get."

Dick's hold on her hand tightened suddenly, and he masked the sudden jolt of fear on his face. "Harley, I don't want to leave you again," he said urgently.

"Don't worry," she smiled. "I'm coming too."


	22. It Gets Worse

_**She can fill in the missing pieces.**_

_**Dick can't let her go. She reappeared suddenly, and after a passionate reunion, it's time to get to work again. She knows everything they need to complete the puzzle and reveal the bigger picture. **_

_**Harley Quinn reveals her recent endeavours against the Joker and Lex Luthor's operation to the Batfamily, in hopes that they will join her in her campaign against their would-be 'team up'. And it's larger than they'd anticipated.**_

Dick quickly yanked on his boots and grabbed his gloves, slipping his mask over his eyes. Harley disappeared into her room for a moment. She came back out pulling on a jacket and put her laptop in a backpack. He stole one last kiss before pressing his comm into his ear and lacing his fingers with Harley's. "I hope it's okay, I've just got the motorcycle. No helmets, either; but something tells me that that isn't a priority," he smiled. She grinned back before rolling her eyes, hitching her backpack onto her shoulder.

"Just try not to attract too many adoring fans with that costume out in the daylight," she teased. He led her out the door to his motorcycle, and she sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

"We'll be going much too fast for that, Harley," he grinned, taking off down the street. They flew through Gotham at blinding speed until they finally reached the Batcave, the engine of the motorcycle echoing in the tunnel. They could see Damian sitting in Bruce's chair in front of the computer banks, his back to them.

Nightwing hopped off of the motorcycle and helped Harley, walking toward the computers. Tim and Batgirl stood on the other side of Damian watching the monitors where the news story about Superman's disappearance was playing. Nightwing took Harley's hand, pulling her behind him a bit so she was hidden by his shoulders. Jason was leaning against the desk with his helmet in his hands, and Selina stood beside him, nervously tapping her finger on her leg. Nightwing cleared his throat.

"Guys?" He reached up to take his mask off, and Batgirl and Tim turned. Damian didn't respond, his fingers steepled at his lips. Jason saw Harley and nudged Selina with a sly smile.

"This doesn't look good," Batgirl commented, glancing away from the monitors. Harley peeked out over Dick's shoulder, and the blood drained from Batgirl's face. Tim's hand flew over his mouth in shock, and Barbara pulled her cowl off slowly. "Dick, what the hell?"

"I know, I know, she-"

"-thank God," Barbara breathed, cutting him off. Tim shook his head slowly.

"She's _alive_!? How- when did you-" he laughed nervously and looked between the two of them. Selina and Jason watched them with slightly amused smiles.

"Hi," Harley mumbled blushing. "Yeah, not dead," she giggled. Tim and Barbara both looked at Dick for guidance, and he nodded, smiling and squeezing Harley's hand. Tim shrugged, and Barbara nodded calmly. As long as Dick trusted her, they would follow.

"Alright, as long as you two are okay, I'm okay," she sighed.

"Exactly," Tim agreed.

"See Jason," Harley leaned around Dick, "I told you you'd take it the worst."

"Hey! I totally handled it better than Dick did!" Jason complained. Harley smiled at Selina before glancing back at Tim as he spoke.

"So what's the emergency? It sounded like it was more urgent than Harley being back- not that I'm not happy. You being back is urgent, but what's the problem?" he asked, looking between everyone in the group. Jason, Selina, and Harley clearly knew, but he wasn't the only one confused. Damian spun his chair around so none of them could see him.

"Well," Harley said, looking at them self consciously. "Superman isn't missing. He's…. for lack of a better word: kidnapped."

"Who could kidnap Superman?" Tim asked skeptically, spreading his arms. "He's _Superman_."

"Who do you think, moron?" Jason asked.

"Lex," Harley told them, shooting Jason a quick glare. "Don't act so smug; I had to spell this out for you," she reminded him. "I don't know what he's got planned for the future, but he decided it was time to end his vendetta against Superman. With him being an 'upstanding citizen' and political candidate, there isn't much he can do. He's too much in the public eye. So," she took a deep breath. "He made a deal with the Joker."

"Shit," Barbara sighed. Tim rubbed his temples and even Damian's brow furrowed. "Are you saying that the Joker has Superman?"

"Had," Harley corrected. "He would have been delivered to Lexcorp for holding by now." Barbara relaxed a bit.

"Okay, so what do we do?" Tim asked, looking at Dick and Harley. "We should tell Batman right away," he added.

"We can't," Harley sighed. She leaned against the table. "The problem is that Lex didn't hire just anyone to take out Superman. He hired the Joker."

"And?" Barbara asked. "I'm trying to be cooperative here, but we can't just _not _tell Batman. Besides, if Luthor hired the Joker, doesn't that make Batman kind of a key player? He's the one best equipped to deal with him." She cleared her throat and blushed a little. "Aside from you, I guess…" she added. "Sorry."

"Don't be. And I would love more than anything to have Batman's help, we need all the help we can get, but he is part of the Justice League. It's taken me a month to get all the information on this plan." She rubbed her neck as if the thought of it made her tired. "Think about it," Harley told them glancing around. Jason and Selina looked at the others too, waiting for the moment they would understand. "Superman is missing. With League protocols, they officially declare him missing twenty-four hours after his last check in and start the official search. After another day, what do they do?" She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Every active League member gathers at the Hall of Justice for an official statement. But this isn't just some League member missing, this is Superman. With him being the one missing, _every_ member will show." Tim sucked in a breath, and Barbara covered her mouth. "Every single member of the Justice League will be gathered in one public place. Sitting ducks." Dick crossed his arms, listening intently.

"That's a stupid protocol, you think they'd know that they were putting themselves all in the line of fire."

Harley looked at him. "With that many heroes in one room, no villain in his right mind would attack them. There's just no way. Unless you're the Joker."

"What are you saying?" He glanced at Harley.

"I still don't understand why we can't tell the League about this," Barbara pressed.

"It gets worse," she told them weakly. Dick frowned, but then took a deep breath, smiling a little.

"Go on."

"From the information I could... _gather_," she said, not meeting his eyes as she rubbed her palms together, "the deal that the Joker made with Luthor was to be granted access to some of Lexcorp's technology. He wanted access to some of their designs." Jason walked over to the computer banks and started pulling up some files. "It took some digging to find what he was looking for, and then even more digging because through and through this is all legitimate Lexcorp business. There have been shipments to utility centers in all the major cities, but Joker got a hold of them first." A diagram was pulled up on the screen of a machine. "Designed and disguised as experimental air purifiers, every single one has the capability to release millions of ppm of Joker gas," she explained. "Placed strategically around the globe for maximum efficiency. The Hall of Justice is just the opener, he has the whole world in his hand."

"He'll kill everyone," Tim breathed, studying the schematics of the machine. As Harley talked, Dick had leaned against the computer banks and pulled her closer to him, his hand on her hip. She could tell that he was nervous. Barbara glanced at the news still rolling on one monitor, and then she looked up at Harley.

"Alright then, you're the one we're following into battle. You clearly know the most." She smiled. "What do we do, Quinn?" Harley blanched for a second, panic flashing across her face before she mentally shook herself.

"The problem is that all of the machines are linked," she said, pointing at the screen. "If you destroy one, the others activate. So fine, they all have to be destroyed simultaneously, but then the Joker still has his plan for the League. We tell them: what can they do? It may be the only chance to get Joker out in the open, and he and Lex still have Superman as a bargaining chip if his plan collapses. According the logs, he also has one final machine that wasn't shipped that could kill millions if we don't destroy it with the others. Our best bet is to keep the League out of this and looking like good targets. If anyone is missing, the Joker could get suspicious. But, if he takes the final machine to them, all of them are exposed to be destroyed."

"So we'll need more than us," Tim said slowly. "My Titans are at your disposal. As for the machines, would time bombs be able to take them all out at once, if they were rigged to just one detonator? We'd still have to make sure they were all placed before they blew, so we'd need more help." Harley shook her head.

"Blowing them is too risky." She pointed at the diagram. "The Joker gas has been split into two solid compounds, that when mixed, form the gas. An explosion could combine them and set it off anyway."

"Right," Tim muttered, frustrated.

"A coordinated strike is the only solution we've come up with, so, yes you're right, we need lots of help." She turned to face Jason.

"Oh, my turn." He paced through the center of them with a smirk on his face. "Ivy, Selina, and I have gathered together some friends who are willing to help while Harley was busy being a super secret, dead spy. Basically, we _are_ crime." He smirked at Dick. "You guys aren't going to like them- try not to arrest them- but they're who we got." He shrugged. "We'll need a few more friendly faces. Ivy is out there hashing out the plan with who we have. Update who you can as we go."

"We will definitely need the Titan's help," Harley chimed in again with a smile at Tim. "Also, any non League heroes that you guys can round up by tomorrow, and anyone else you can think of who'll help. Selina has talked to Bruce," Harley nodded at Selina who smiled bitterly, "about certain aspects, so that at least some of the League members are aware that _something _is going to happen. We're trying to keep this quiet, but they won't be caught unprepared if we do fail and can watch out for their own. But if we do fail, it won't matter that the League survives because there won't be a world left for them to protect."


	23. One For Me

_**Its the calm before the storm.**_

_**With Luthor and Joker's plan revealed, there's nothing to do but wait. The League is in lockdown, and it's up to the 'hero support' to save them- but theres nothing they can do. Their only option is patience. **_

_**The children of the Batfamily, all locked together in the same house- can either get along or fall apart. With Harley's recent resurfacing, tensions arise between brothers that could potentially tear the group apart before they've even taken off.**_

Harley rubbed her eyes, exhausted, and they had only been working for a few hours. Tim had gone to the Titans to get them ready, and Barbara, Dick, and Damian had contacted anyone who could help. They had talked about every aspect of her plan until Harley thought she could recite it backward. She couldn't stop the small pit of guilt in her stomach. She knew she was the reason the Joker was doing this. She and Ivy had known the moment she turned against him, he would snap and do something drastic. It was her fault, and her responsibility, and she had dedicated the last month to rectifying it. It hadn't been easy. Dick put a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to face him.

"We should eat something," he smiled, gently pushing her hair behind her ear. He glanced at Barbara, Jason, and Damian. Selina had gone upstairs before them. "Let's take a break, guys. We can't keep staring at these computer screens much longer. We know the plan, let's go get lunch."

"As long as you're not cooking," Jason yawned. Dick laughed, taking Harley's hand as he led her to the elevator. As Damian walked past, Dick grabbed his collar, wrapping his other arm around his shoulders and hugging him tight.

"You still mad at me?" Dick asked.

"You do not deserve my anger, Grayson," Damian snapped, worming out of the hug. Dick laughed, and they all got into the elevator.

"No one deserves _your_ anger, Damian," Barbara mumbled, and Dick snorted. Harley crossed her arms, leaning her head against Dick's shoulder.

"Ivy says that Zero Dark Team 6 is ready to go," Jason told her, stretching his arms.

"Did you just combine Zero Dark Thirty and Seal Team 6?" Harley asked laughing.

"I knew it was a long shot," Jason muttered.

Barbara raised an eyebrow as they all piled out of the elevator. "Is he trying to name the 'team'?" she asked, leaning over to Harley.

"He's been trying since he found out about it," Harley whispered.

"What about the 'Black Diamonds'? Jason called. "You know, because of your diamonds and the secrecy and stuff."

"I'm not replying to that," Harley said, seeing the look on Barbara's face. She snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Just a tip, don't let the batboys name _anything. _Batman has been stuck with 'Batmobile' since Dick first set eyes on it," she laughed.

"I'm guessing he did 'wingding' too." Harley covered her mouth, shaking with laughter when Dick glanced at her. He narrowed his eyes at them as Barbara hiccuped a bit, leaning closer to Harley.

"Remind me later to show you his _first _outfit-"

"-what are you two talking about?" Dick laughed nervously, opening the kitchen door for them.

"You in bed," Harley said deadpan, walking past him.

"You do have such a nice wingding," Barbara smirked. The color drained from his face as Barbara burst into laughter. He stood rooted to the spot for a moment, his cheeks dark red.

"Wait- why are you _laughing_!?" he cried, blushing harder. Jason put a hand on his shoulder, his eyes crinkled with smile lines as he shook with silent laughter.

"Wait!" he called after Barbara and Harley, leaving Dick standing there. "Is he for mask on or off? Does he do the Batman voice?" Jason was having a hard time talking between his crippling laughter. "Has he gotten out the handcuffs? Does he live up to his name?" Dick could hear the laughter ringing in in the kitchen. "Or do we have a new Dick Jr?" Jason cried between his peals of laughter.

"Jason!" Dick cried angrily, storming into the kitchen, his entire face reddened with his embarrassment. "What the f-"

"-Master Richard!" Alfred cried, looking up from where he was setting the table. Dick ignored him, glaring at Jason. Even Damian was disguising a smile.

"I do _not _do a Batman voice!" Dick shouted defensively, but Barbara, Jason, and Harley were laughing too hard to listen to him.

"No," Selina walked past him. "_That's _Bruce," she grinned, strolling into the pantry.

"Oh!" Jason cried, covering his ears. "I did not need that mental picture. Get it out!" Barbara rubbed the tears out of her eyes, bent over the counter laughing as Selina walked past Dick again, patting him on the shoulder.

"Attention's off of you, honey," she winked, helping Alfred set the table. Dick still didn't move, his arms crossed angrily at his humiliation. Harley put her hands on his shoulders, smiling up at him.

"Relax," she rolled her eyes, "we weren't talking about that." She grinned wickedly. "Besides, from what Ivy says, Jason has nothing to brag about."  
>"What!?" Jason cried, a plate smashing to the floor. "What did she say!?"<p>

"Oh, this and that," Harley said indifferently, winking at Dick. He smiled a little and Barbara clapped her on the shoulder, still trying to control her laughter.

"I take back everything I ever said about her, Dick, she fits right in," she giggled, walking to the table and sitting down. Alfred snapped at her, pointing to the sink, and she reluctantly got back up to wash her hands. Dick shook his head, muttering irritably about Jason. Harley kissed him on the cheek, still smiling, before going to wash her hands.

"Good to see you again Alfred," she said.

"You too, Miss. I prefer seeing you in this circumstance than your funeral."

"Right," Harley muttered awkwardly. Alfred smiled at her.

"I haven't heard this much laughter in this house in months. I don't care much _how _you arrived here, but I'm glad that you _are _here." He returned to the table, putting out food on pot holders as everyone situated themselves in seats. Dick pulled out Harley's chair for her before sitting down, and Jason snorted.

"What a gentleman," Jason mocked. Alfred hit him across the back of the head with a pot holder.

"You could learn a thing or two, Master Jason," Alfred advised.

"Yeah," Harley raised an eyebrow, "Ivy may pretend to hate it, but I bet you'd get further than with the cheap pickup lines."

Dick winced, looking at Jason. "Yikes, you still _use _those things?" he asked, shoveling some mashed potatoes onto his plate and passing them to Harley.

"Well I learned them from you," Jason smirked, scooping up some green beans.

"Oh God, I remember when you were like that," Barbara laughed. "You were a lot _funnier _than Jason, though."

"Dang it. I knew I missed out on the good years," Harley chuckled. "Maybe you should have been the jester."

"I believe Richard was a fool, yes," Damian muttered quietly from the other end of the table. "But he looked a lot more like Peter Pan than a jester…" Jason threw his silverware down on the table and raised his hands in the air as everyone laughed.

"Hell has frozen over," he declared.

"Because of what, Jay, the fact that Damian made a joke or the fact that he knows who Peter Pan is?" Barbara snorted. Damian scowled at Jason, his eyes narrowed angrily.

"I suspect it will be very _cold _when you return home, then," he snapped.

"Did I miss something when I was dead?" Harley asked Dick. "Since when is Damian the funniest brother?"

"Then I didn't catch it either," Tim said, walking into the room and dropping into a chair. "What'd I miss?"

"Dick jokes, I believe," Alfred told him, setting out a plate.

"What the-!?" Dick cried as the table burst into laughter again. "Alfred! I thought you were on my side!"

"Sir, there are no sides in this war," Alfred commented drily. Damian scooted distastefully away from Tim as Dick slumped in his chair, but he was unable to hide the smile on his face.

"You know what this is missing?" Jason sighed wistfully. "Potato salad."

Dick smiled and nudged Harley, taking a drink of his water. "Maybe we could make some. Later, of course."

"What no time being dead to make any?" Damian asked.

"Actually, my afterlife was a little busy," Harley said, twirling her fork. "When I wasn't planning, I was… interrogating. Gathering that information was... tricky. Then I was kept on my toes trying to keep hitmen," she pointed her fork at Dick, "from killing you."

"Some guardian angel you were," Damian snapped, suddenly standing and glaring at her. The table fell agonizingly silent. "If it hadn't been for _you,_ the Joker would never have targeted him. You say you were trying to protect him? Well where the hell were you when your old flame was torturing him!?" he shouted. Dick stood up.

"That's _enough_, Damian," he snapped roughly, and Damian glared at him, his jaw pushed forward.

"You all let her come in here and act like one of us, when she's _not_. I don't care about what she did in general, but the Joker taking you- painting your face up like some-" Damian breathed hard, glaring at Dick.

"Dick," Harley whispered, grabbing his arm to pull him back down into his seat. "Where was I?" She turned to face Damian. "I was racing around the city trying to find any lead like you. When Jason called me with the location, I figured the Joker was going to end it like he had in his only successful attempt." She glanced at Jason. "Torture ended with an explosion. The location was even near Jason's old neighborhood. So yes, I got there. But I made a decision to defuse the bomb. Save Dick, or save all of you that arrived." She hung her head a little. "I like to think I know you well enough to know what you would have wanted me to do," she whispered to Dick. He nodded his approval.

"It doesn't matter," Damian snapped. "I'm sickened to see you all take to her so _easily_, after what she did to him. She left you, Richard, and we had to deal with the incoherent mess that you became in her wake!" he cried. Harley flinched. Dick took a step forward, but Damian held his ground. "_She _didn't have to watch you suffer, or hear you scream at night!"

"Damian!" Dick snapped angrily.

"And then she left you exposed to the Joker! It should have been _her _pinned to the wall by a knife, face painted like some nightmare!" he screamed, and Dick chased him out of the kitchen. Damian scrambled out the door, startled by the absolute fury on Dick's face. He stood by the door, his hand clenched in a fist at his side.

"I'm sorry, Harley, he's- I'm sorry." Dick breathed, his jaw clenched.

"Don't apologize," Harley muttered, resting her forehead on her hands. "He and I are in complete agreement."

The room was silent and heavy. Dick didn't know what to say, and he was too embarrassed to look at the others. Harley felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Well _I _don't agree." Barbara said quietly. "Anyone who's willing to switch sides for the person they love has earned respect in my book," she squeezed Harley's shoulder reassuringly, smiling a little at Selina. Dick ran a hand through his hair.

"Thanks, Babs," he murmured. Barbara nodded. "Damian just needs some time… I'm sure he'll be fine…"

"He just doesn't understand the people in this family who've died," Jason joked. Harley laughed weakly.

"For the tenth time, I didn't _actually_ die Jason. The Antitoxin stopped the poison from entering my system."

"Yeah, you're still alone on that front," Tim sneered, shoveling potatoes onto his plate casually like nothing happened.

"Burned like hell though," Harley admitted glancing at Dick. "Was that poison forged in the depths of hell or something?"

"Sounds right up the Joker's alley," Dick agreed, sitting down again. He rubbed his tired eyes, his knee touching hers lightly under the table. He'd been like that all day, always touching her, as if she'd disappear at any moment and he wanted to make sure that she was still there. It was clingy and loving, and she kind of liked it.

When everyone had finished eating, Dick, Harley, Barbara, Tim, and Jason had all returned to the Batcave. Barbara and Jason were checking and cleaning weaponry with Tim sitting beside them, chatting on about the Teen Titans as he stitched the bulletholes in his Red Robin cape. Dick sat at the computer banks, updating Bruce in a video call while Harley made sure to stay off-camera. He signed off and turned around in the chair, running one hand through his hair while he twirled a wingding in the other.

"So what now?" she asked, elbowing him.

Dick smiled when he saw her, his shoulders relaxing. "Bruce is with the Justice League, still looking for Superman," he sighed, pulling her onto his lap and kissing her cheek. "I suppose now, we kill time." He kissed her gently, a hand on her cheek.

"Other people in the room!" Jason called. "Please don't make me gag!" Dick smiled and in response, kissed Harley passionately, flicking his wrist and throwing the wingding in his hand at Jason. It narrowly missed, embedding itself in the wall by his head. "Bruce and Selina!" Jason yelled. "Just to make you as uncomfortable as the rest of us." Dick smiled, his kiss tapering off as he pulled away from Harley, standing up and setting her on her feet. He held her hand as he walked toward the rest of the group.

"How are things?" he asked, picking up the grappling gun that Barbara had just finished cleaning.

"Everything should be ready by tomorrow," Barbara said distractedly, counting smoke pellets. She glanced up at Dick. "Put that down," she instructed, grabbing the grappling gun from him. "Get out of here." She shooed him. "Go play with your toys or something."

"Jeez, fine mom," he muttered, walking away. He dropped face first onto the sparring mat a few feet from Barbara and Jason and pulled Harley down to lie next to him.

"I never pictured you as a nap kid," Harley joked, leaning on her hand. Dick laughed.

"I wasn't. Then again, _I _never went to an elementary school that forced me to take naps, either." He shrugged. "So I guess we'll never know." Dick smiled, staring at her as he propped his arms under his head.

"You never seem to sleep much when I'm around," Harley grinned.

"Ugh! We can still hear you!" Jason whined. Dick laughed, still watching Harley intently, his blue eyes warm.

"That's true," he continued, ignoring Jason. Dick nudged her gently and then pulled a hand out from under his head, playing with the strap of her tanktop. "Are you staying with me here tonight?"

"I'm not exactly bouncing with excitement to go back to the safe house." She distractedly twirled the string around her finger.

"Well it _is _a lot nicer here," Dick smiled. "So you're staying."

"Don't argue with him," Jason advised. "He may cry."

"Shut up, Jay," Dick rolled his eyes. "Come on," he grabbed Harley's hand, standing up.

"Where to? Did you _suddenly _think of something you wanted to do?" she teased.

"Yep," Dick smiled, raising his fists to protect his face. "Show me what you got."

"I'm not going to hit you," she sighed, shaking her head.

"Come on," Dick urged. "It's just a little friendly sparring, I do it with Damian and Bruce all the time. Just don't beat the snot out of me like Damian does." He smiled eagerly.

"I'm not going to hit you." She crossed her arms. "Are you going to hit me?" She smirked. Dick straightened a bit, frowning.

"No. I don't want to hit you," he sighed, and then a grin flashed across his face as he grabbed her arm, flipping her over and pinning her to the mat. It hadn't been hard enough to hurt, but it had surprised her. Dick held her wrists and kissed her gently, smiling. "One for me."

She swung her legs up and pinned his arms together between them, freeing her wrists and flipping him over. She sat on his chest holding his arms together. "I didn't tap out," she whispered grinning.

Dick pitched her off to the side and did a back somersault away from her, kneeling as she stood. He rushed her, and she leapt over his shoulder, pushing off of it and pushing him down at the same time. He landed on one knee and laughed, glancing over his shoulder at her and then standing. Dick came at her faster now, catching her arm and twisting it behind her back. She quickly reversed it and swung her leg out to trip him, but he leapt over her leg. Smiling, Harley threw a weak left hook, just to see what he'd do; Dick caught her wrist, and his hand slid into hers as he twirled her close like they were dancing. He smiled, his head bent close to hers and his arms wound tightly around her torso.

"This is a new pin," she mumbled, lacing her arms over his. Dick couldn't keep the grin off of his face, and he held her tight, nuzzling her nose with his. She abruptly yanked his arms away as she swept his legs out from under him. "Do you remember this one?" she asked, pinning his arms above his head as she sat on his hips. She kissed his neck. Dick resisted the urge to moan for Jason's sake, smiling broadly.

"Oh, I remember it," he breathed, arching his back and sending her tumbling over his head. Dick twisted his wrists out of her grip as he stood and did a flip backwards and out of her reach, his toes pointed out of habit. Harley rolled back to her feet. He braced himself for a fight again, and Harley rushed at him, predicting his dodge and catching him around the neck with her legs. She flipped him over, and he hit the mat with a cry of surprise, staring up at the cave ceiling. Tim laughed, and she stood above him smirking.

"I've got the Antitoxin on my side. I'm faster than you. And stronger."

Dick bit his lip and rolled to his feet, jumping up in the air and flipping clean over her head, taking her knees out before she could react. Harley cried out and dropped to her knees, but she bent over backwards and slid under Dick's legs, coming up behind him and trailing her hands over his shoulders. He shuddered, but when she tried to take him down again, he did an aerial split over her head, laughing and landing behind her. Harley calculated where he'd be, and then she quickly launched into a back handspring, her feet catching his shoulders and knocking him down again. She landed beside him, her hands on her hips, and Dick grabbed her ankle, yanking it out from under her. Harley cried out as she landed on his chest.

Dick pushed some of her blonde hair behind her ear, the rest hanging around their faces as he grinned up at her, panting a little. "You are incredible, Harley Quinn," he breathed, his eyes shining.

"You're not too bad yourself, Dick Grayson," she whispered, her lips near his ear. With the Antitoxin, no fight had been fair; with his antitoxin still coursing through his veins, Dick was the biggest challenge she'd had in a month. She wrapped her hands around his wrists like shackles. "Give up?" Her eyes shone, daring him to say no.

"I surrender," Dick grinned, dropping his arms on the mat without a struggle.

"Then it looks like it's one for me." She kissed his nose.

"Boo!" Tim called from the table, and Dick glanced over at them, rolling his eyes.

"Told you my girl would win," Jason cackled. "Pay up, swan queen."

Tim reluctantly handed Jason a twenty, and Barbara shook her head. "We should all probably get some sleep. That means you two," she called to Dick and Harley.

"Of course," Harley called after her.

"Another twenty says they don't," Jason bet Tim. Dick rolled his eyes as Barbara steered Tim and Jason toward the elevator. She glanced back over her shoulder.

"Seriously, if you two aren't upstairs in ten minutes, I'm going to come get you," she warned, and they stepped onto the elevator. Dick smiled up at Harley.

"You going to let me up?"

"I don't know," she sighed, resting her chin on his chest and grinning. Dick sat up easily, taking her with him as he smiled deviously.

"I'm sure we'd be a lot more comfortable upstairs."

"Do I need to grab my mask?" she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Remind me to kill Jason for that," he sighed, but he smiled as she kissed him slowly. "...maybe in the morning."

"What you won't be sleeping by then?" she asked innocently, brushing her lips along his jaw. He moaned softly, closing his eyes and smiling.

"You're right, I never get any sleep with you around."

"But I think we should still go to bed," Harley breathed, her lips against his.

Dick seemed reluctant to move, but he stood and took her in his arms, carrying her to the elevator.


	24. All Three of Us

_**The wait is tedious.**_

_**The family's restlessness has calmed down as the day progressed, and now the house is quiet. They're all together and safe, for now- tomorrow they begin their mission. But tonight is theirs to command. They know the plan. Now it's time to rest and be ready.**_

_**But Harley has one last secret that she's played close to her heart, one that she has only told to Ivy. One that she can only tell Dick when they're completely alone. Her secret could potentially tear apart their alliance- just before they need each other most.**_

It felt unbelievably good to have showered. Harley felt clean and refreshed, drying her hair with a towel as she sat on Dick's bed, the warm faint scent of his Axe Apollo cologne on the soft t-shirt that hung loosely off of her frame. It was comforting, and she'd missed it.

He came out of the bathroom and flopped onto the bed, his eyes tired, but content. She could smell his aftershave as he slipped under the covers, and she did the same, snuggling into the plush cotton sheets. The pillows were soft and thick, and her head sank into them. The blankets smelled like Dick. He stared at her, half of his face hidden in the feather pillow, his sleepy eyes shining.

"So this is where you grew up?" She glanced around the room. "I can't picture it."

Dick nodded. "It was a castle to a kid who grew up in the circus. At the time, I hated it. Now, I know how lucky I was," he didn't take his eyes off of her.

"You know," she smiled, "I think my whole childhood house could have fit in the bathroom." She tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear. Dick laughed quietly.

"It's unnaturally big," he agreed, tucking an arm under his pillow.

"You really should get some sleep," she whispered, her finger tracing the circles under his eyes. He smiled a little, taking her hand.

"I didn't sleep at all last night. I couldn't," he whispered, kissing her fingers. He pressed his hand to hers. She frowned, her blue eyes questioning. Dick closed his eyes. "I was _terrified _that I'd wake up here, and it'd all be a dream. So I didn't sleep. I had to make sure you were real."

Harley moved her head onto his pillow so their foreheads were almost touching. "I'm not going anywhere," she promised.

"I know," he smiled, but he still felt panic flare in his chest. "I just feel like if I take my eyes off of you for one second- if I let you go, you'll be gone. If I'd been watching, if I hadn't let you go- the Joker never would have killed you." Dick looked down, pinching his eyes shut sadly. "If I'd just…"

"Dick I wasn't falling," she told him sternly, trying not to squirm at the guilt she felt for causing him pain. "I knew what he would do. Well, not _exactly_. I didn't think it would be a stabbing, but that doesn't matter." She traced a thumb under his blue eyes as she looked into them. "I wanted to tell you _every day_. Especially since… well," she sighed. "I'm not proud of the things I've done, particularly in the last month, and the worst of it was seeing how much it hurt you. And watching you blame yourself." She grabbed his chin. "You always caught me when I needed you. You've always been there." She kissed his forehead. "We both survived being stabbed to still be here today, so don't you dare dwell on that."

Dick smiled a little, his hand involuntarily finding the scar on her side and tracing over it with his thumb. "You're right. I'm sorry, Harley, I'm just tired, and I've been through a lot in the past few days. I guess I'm just feeling a bit stretched thin. I can't sleep unless you're with me." He said quietly, opening his eyes to look at her.

"I told you I'm not going anywhere," she said softly. "You're stuck with me," she smiled, her eyes gleaming, "forever."

"Forever," Dick agreed, breathing deeply and smiling a bit. "The two of us, against the world." Her thumb traced along his lips, and her eyes followed it, the crease forming between them. She sat up and tugged at her shirt, glancing at him nervously.

"Dick…" She trailed off, avoiding his eyes.

"Hmm?" he looked up at her, his eyes half open. Dick dragged himself into a sitting position. "You okay?"

"It's just… there's something you should know," she puckered her lips. His brow furrowed worriedly, and there was a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Is something wrong? What is it, Harley?" Dick asked, shaking his sleep away and looking at her in concern.

"Nothing's wrong. I… I don't even know how to say this," she admitted.

"It's okay, just say it," Dick smiled, his words gentle. "What's 'not wrong', Harley?" He squeezed her hand. She bent her head down, shaking her hair in front of her face as she pinched her eyes closed.

"It's just… I'm…" She took a deep breath.

"You're what?" he encouraged her gently, pulling the hair out of her face. "It's just me, you can say whatever you want, Harley." Dick smiled a little. She tensed.

"Dick, I'm pregnant."

"See, that wasn't so…" he blinked, shaking his head a bit. Dick laughed nervously and cupped a hand under her chin, making her look at him. "...what?"

"I'm pregnant," she repeated, her eyes wide. Dick searched her face, his lips pressed together and the color leaving his cheeks.

"You're…" he looked straight forward, running a hand through his hair. He closed his eyes tight. "Oh… You're… how long did you know? I mean, how long have you-" he cleared his throat.

"I'm about twelve weeks or so," she rambled, "which is still in the first trimester, I mean, and I know we were safe, but that isn't one hundred percent effective. And when I missed- I looked back and it would have been- the first time we- but-" She cut herself off, looking at him. "Sorry. Are you okay?" Dick dropped his head in his hands, breathing deeply.

"I'll be fine," he choked with a hoarse laugh, running both hands through his hair. "Oh, God…" Harley watched him carefully.

"I don't know if this changes anything," she said slowly.

"No!" He sat up quickly, looking at her. "It's…" he trailed off, having a hard time controlling the panic in his throat. "It's _fine_," he forced himself to smile. "It will be okay, right!?"

"Dick," her voice was pleading. "Please don't just say it will be okay. Tell me what you're thinking." He sighed deeply, calming himself.

"God, I really screwed up this time. I'm sorry, Harley, don't take that the wrong way, I'm just sorry that you'll have to- and I'm- don't think that I've-" He closed his eyes, clenching his jaw. Dick grasped her hand and looked at her. "It _will_ be okay, Harley. This is… complicated, but I'm here, okay? I'm not going anywhere. I'm just… I'm _scared,_ and I know you probably are too, but we can do this, right?" He smiled a little. "It will be fine." Dick nodded slowly, trying to reassure himself as much as her.

"I'm sorry that I'm putting this on you right now, in the middle of everything else that is going on." She put her hands on either side of his face, resting her forehead against his. "It's okay to be scared," she whispered. "This isn't exactly as easy as hunting down criminals," she tried to joke, "but we _will_ be fine." She pressed her lips against his forehead. "Besides, if all else fails, we always have Alfred for help."

Dick laughed, trembling a bit as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. He nodded. "I love you, Harley," he breathed, his heart pounding. She kissed his cheek.

"I love you too," she whispered. Dick pulled her down into the soft bed sheets, wrapping his arms around her. She pressed her back against his chest, and she could feel his nose buried in her hair, his breath gentle on the back of her neck. He tucked his knees behind her, his arm draped over her side.

"We'll be okay," he repeated quietly. "All _three _of us." Dick's hand tucked protectively around her stomach, and he kissed the back of her neck.

* * *

><p>Harley was rubbing her eyes when she stepped out of the bathroom and kicked the dresser. She stumbled backward with a gasp, slamming into the door. <em>Stop wearing contacts to bed<em>, she told herself sternly as she blinked her eyes open. Dick sat upright in bed at the noise, looking at her, still half asleep.

"Harley? You okay?" he mumbled, yawning. His black hair was cowlicked up in the back, and his bangs stuck up from his forehead.

"I'm fine. Sorry for waking you," she giggled, crawling back onto the bed. "This place is big enough to get lost."

"S'okay," Dick mumbled, dropping back onto the pillows sleepily. "I did, once, when I was a kid…"

"If I try to go to the kitchen, I think I'll end up in the Batcave," she teased, pushing his bangs back and kissing his forehead. He smiled against his pillow.

"No, that's the library, but there is a secret tunnel thing from the kitchen to this one room in the northwest corner… Tim and I used to sneak food out through it." Dick wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her closer, tucking her head under his chin.

"I'll keep that in mind for future use," Harley mumbled, tucking into a ball into his chest. Dick smiled and stroked her hair, sighing contentedly.

"You smell good," he murmured sleepily, burying his face in her hair.

"Good," she muttered, wrapping her arms around him.

Dick inhaled slowly, holding her tight. After a good night's rest, he felt unbelievably calm about his situation. Dick was a firm believer in _doing_, but he also believed that situations like these would sort themselves out to a degree. He just had to know whether to do something, or let it take its course, and the latter seemed to be the best option. Harley's rosy perfume calmed him, in fact; he felt more at ease than he had in weeks. His breathing was slow and even, his chest rising and falling steadily under Harley's hands as she clutched his shirt. Dick rubbed his eyes, looking at the curtains glowing with the sunlight kept at bay behind them. He was at ease in the silence.

After a long moment, Harley interrupted the quiet. "So how are you taking the news after sleeping on it?" she asked into his shirt, not moving.

Dick smiled, pressing his lips against her head. "I said before that I'm with you no matter what. I think this is probably a perfect definition of that 'what', Harley. I'll be right here, every step of the way. We'll be okay." He smiled again, stroking her cheek as she looked up at him.

"I know. I've just kind of had a hard time imagining it," she admitted. "A baby." She rested her cheek against his chest. "What are we going to tell everyone?"

Dick laughed nervously, biting his lip. "I honestly don't know. I… I don't even know how they'll react, to be honest."

"Should we wait to tell them?" Harley asked. "Until everything calms down?"

"Definitely. They all have more important things to worry about with the Justice League, and such…" Dick frowned, his brow furrowed worriedly as he bit back his concern. He laughed nervously. "Suddenly I don't want you out there fighting," he tried to smile, but the thought solidified, and he bit his lip. Harley sat up to look at him.

"Don't," she said sternly. "I'll be fine. I know what I'm doing, okay?"

"Okay," Dick agreed, fighting the 'what ifs' running through his mind.

"Stop it," she demanded, seeing the look on his face. "I wouldn't do anything that put me or the baby in danger. I've been off on my own in some pretty bad situations, and it's been okay so far; I'm careful, alright? You don't have to worry." He laughed a little, his dark bedhead and black fitted t-shirt contrasting sharply against the white pillows. He looked a lot better than he did the night before.

"You know I'm going to worry about you either way," he smiled, taking her hand. "You carrying our child is just cause for more concern than there already was." She pursed her lips.

"I'm sorry, but it's just so good to finally be able to talk with you about this," she sighed. "I just wanted to run and tell you as soon as I found out, I just wanted you to be a part of it, and now," she caressed the side of his face, "here you are. Here we all are."

Dick leaned his head into her touch, smiling up at her gently. "You know I wish you would have, but at least you're here now. I'm not going to let you go again, so you'd better get used to it."

"Well do you mind letting me go long enough for me to eat something? I'm starved." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Of course," Dick sat up, tossing the covers off of himself. "I'm sure Alfred has something in the kitchen." He scooped her up off of the bed, holding her in his arms as they left the bedroom, and he started for the kitchen.

"My legs still work," Harley laughed. Dick smiled and kissed her cheek.

"I know, but why would you ever want to pass up a chance to be carried somewhere?" he laughed, pushing the kitchen door open and dropping her on her feet. Barbara looked away.

"If you were offering, I would have liked it," Tim yawned, as he shuffled past. Dick laughed and ruffled his hair, seating Harley at the table and then helping Alfred get plates while Barbara made orange juice. She glanced at Harley with a smile.

"Did you sleep okay?" she asked, as Jason joined them in the kitchen still half asleep.

"Yeah, once Dick stopped snoring," Harley joked. Dick laughed and rolled his eyes, putting a plate in front of her.

"You're rocking the T-shirt and boxers," Jason told her, pouring himself a coffee. Harley shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ear. Dick kissed her head.

"She didn't have anything to wear, Jay." he mumbled, sitting down. "Where's-"

He stopped abruptly as Damian walked into the room, a maroon bathrobe draped over his shoulders. He ignored the others and walked straight towards Harley, taking a deep breath, his nose in the air. "Good morning. I realize that I was quite rude to you, and for lack of a better word- an _apology_ needs to be made. So I apologize." He nodded and then walked into the pantry.

Harley glanced at Dick, her eyes wide. "What am I supposed to say to that?" she whispered.

"It's _Damian_, and he just _apologized _to you, so I wouldn't say anything. Don't acknowledge it at the risk of getting your teeth kicked in…" he said quietly, and Tim smothered a laugh.

"I think a slow clap is in order," Jason smirked, sipping his coffee.

"If you still have hands to clap with, you may," Damian muttered, taking a seat on Dick's left. Alfred put heaping plates of scrambled eggs and bacon and sausage on the table, and Tim grinned, taking a fistful of bacon. He suddenly cried out when Damian's fork jabbed into his hand.

"Leave some for the rest of us," he snapped. Tim clutched his hand in horror.

"It's _bleeding_!" he cried, shaking his hand in Jason's face. Jason pushed his hand out of the way as he poured himself some orange juice.

"Yeah? Stop bleeding on my scrambled eggs, would ya?" Harley smiled a little as the scrambled eggs were passed to her. Suddenly the smell hit her, and she was out of her seat bolting for the bathroom. Everyone froze in shock at her abrupt exit. Dick glanced around the table and bit his lip.

"I'll be… um, I'm just going to-" he got up and followed her into the hall hastily, knocking on the bathroom door. "Harley?"

"Sorry. Come in," she called weakly. When Dick opened the door, she was splashing water from the sink on her face. "Sorry," she muttered.

"No need to apologize, are you okay?" he asked, pushing her hair away from her face.

"Yeah." She turned the sink off and faced him. "Sometimes my morning sickness is set off by smells." She wrinkled her nose. He picked up a towel and dried the water off of her cheeks, smiling.

"Well at least we know it wasn't Alfred's cooking, then." She giggled.

"What do I say when I go back out there?" she asked nervously. "I'm deathly afraid of eggs? I've gone vegan?"

Dick laughed. "No, just say you didn't feel well, they'll understand. Although, eggs can be dangerous," he smirked as he led her back out into the hallway.

"I can't tell if you were trying to make a pregnancy joke there," she muttered, lacing her arm through his.

"No, I wasn't, but it did turn out like that, didn't it?" he laughed. "I'll have to come up with some jokes for that," he nudged her, smiling as he opened the door to the kitchen for her. Everyone turned to watch them come in.

"Sorry," Harley mumbled, blushing as she sat back down. Tim waved a hand dismissively, mumbling through a mouthful of food as Jason stole his bacon. Damian was reading the news on a tablet, and Barbara glanced at Harley curiously.

"I hope my cooking isn't that bad," Alfred said, putting a plate of toast in front of Harley.

"No," Harley said hastily. "I'm just not feeling the best."

"Hmm," Alfred said vaguely, looking at her. "Would you like some coffee, Miss Harley?" he asked drily.

"Um, no thank you," Harley mumbled, glancing at Dick.

"Of course not," Alfred commented before turning away. Dick frowned slightly.

"Harley," Jason said through a mouthful of eggs, "if you're feeling under the weather, maybe you need to stay behind."

"Yeah, Harley maybe you should," Dick agreed, his eyebrows knitting in concern.

"I'm fine," Harley snapped at Dick.

"It was just a suggestion," Jason shrugged, not paying them attention as he buttered a piece of toast.

"Perhaps both of you should stay behind," Alfred said, tossing a napkin at Jason. "Master Richard can lead things." Dick choked on his toast and coughed, looking up at Alfred in shock.

"There is no way I'm staying behind," Jason cried as he swiped the napkin across his face. Damian glanced at Jason and then looked at Harley for a long moment before returning to his reading.

"We'll need everyone," Dick reluctantly agreed.

"Including a couple of unexpected members I'm sure," Alfred muttered. Harley snorted into her juice.

"Nah," Tim said, swirling syrup on his pancakes. "I think we got everyone contacted."

Harley cleared her throat. "Maybe we should all get ready to go."

"Yes, I agree," Dick said quickly, standing so fast he knocked his chair over. Tim, Barbara, Jason, and Damian all helped clear the table and left the kitchen. Dick and Harley were almost to the door when Alfred cleared his throat.

"Anything you two have to tell me?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"No?" Dick laughed nervously. Harley blushed, looking down at her feet.

"I would like to tell you, first, congratulations, and second," he looked between their two anxious faces, "let's keep this between us for now."


	25. They're Here to Help

_**The time has come.**_

_**Only the sidekicks, can save the world and the Justice League. Nightwing and Harley Quinn join the fight, but his mind isn't on saving his former mentor, not fully; nor is Harley Quinn fully focused on stopping her's.**_

_**The excitement about Harley's pregnancy is only matched by the terror of putting the woman he loves and the child she carries in danger. No one can know, for now; they just have to get through today. But if the Joker was to find out… **_

Red Robin was in a panic. Wonder Girl tried to restrain him as he ran around the Titans' main room. Red Hood laughed at him, lounging on the couch with his feet on the table while Poison Ivy sat on the armrest next to him. Bane stood over her shoulder with Allie the cat in his arms. Catwoman glared across the room where Robin stood stiffly with Talia Al Ghul and Cheshire beside him.

Batgirl was talking quietly with Black Bat and Spoiler as Scarecrow sat in the corner watching the room. Tigress stood off to the side as Bumblebee stared up at a painting. Kid Flash glanced around with wide eyes while Aqualad stood at his elbow with his arms crossed. Beastboy sat on the floor gazing up at an indifferent Arsenal. Harley and Nightwing stood in the middle at the computer.

"Is everyone here?" Harley asked quietly, but everyone heard.

"Just about, I think-" Nightwing was cut off as he cried out when a woman hit him in the back, nearly knocking him over and throwing her arms around his neck. Her red hair tumbled over his head, and he pulled it out of the way, laughing.

"Starfire!" Nightwing cried, turning around and hugging her tight. He pulled back and glanced at Harley nervously, but Starfire ignored her, grabbing Nightwing's face as she laughed. "I've missed you," he chuckled, and she examined him.

"It's good to see you old friend," she cried before kissing him. Nightwing jerked away from her in surprise, a hand over his mouth.

"Star, I- er- Welcome back," he said awkwardly, not daring to glance at Harley. He grinned when he saw Raven over Starfire's shoulder. He spread his arms. "You're getting it."

"No-" Raven was cut off when Nightwing hugged her tight, grinning. "You're an embarrassment to yourself and to me, Nightwing." She smiled a little and hugged him back. "Its good to be back."

"Raven!" Beastboy cried, throwing his arms around Nightwing and Raven. Nightwing laughed.

"Now we are only missing Cyborg," Starfire sighed wistfully.

Nightwing stepped away from the others and cleared his throat awkwardly, wiping his mouth with his glove. "Now everyone's here. We can get started." He ignored Red Hood collapsed in a fit of laughter.

"Are you sure anyone else won't be showing up?" Harley asked, puckering her lips. Nightwing bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck.

"No. Ah… Sorry, Harley…" He said quietly, but half the room still heard him.

"I'm assuming everyone's up to date on what's happening," Harley said, ignoring the looks. "So we can skip over that and get down to what we need to do."

"Oh, I love plans," Starfire chimed in. Harley paused for a moment before deliberately turning to the computer screen.

"We will start tomorrow with a small select team going to where Lexcorp has Superman held." Harley pulled up a schematic of the building. "The team will consist of Red Robin, Wonder Girl, Nightwing, Robin, and myself. Red Hood and Poison Ivy will be in charge of coordinating the other groups until we get back." Aqualad snorted. A moment of silence fell before Harley continued. "During that time each individual will head to a respective Joker machine for a coordinated strike. The small team will…" she hesitated for a moment, "will sound the strike from the Hall of Justice where the final machine will be." Harley pulled up a map of the world with a glowing red dot for each machine.

"It is crucial that once you get to your machine, you wait for the signal to destroy it," Nightwing instructed. "Is that clear?" There was a general mumbling of agreement.

"Why are they here?" Aqualad snapped, glancing at all the villains in the room. "They aren't heroes."

"They're here to help," Harley tried to placate. "This affects everyone." Aqualad glared at her.

"I'm sorry little boy," Catwoman teased. "Next time I will leave the saving of my planet in your capable fins."

"Hey," Nightwing said warningly with a glare at Catwoman. "I can see his point. There's no need for name-calling. I mean, I'm not exactly _at ease _working with the man who broke Batman's _back_-" he glanced at Bane- "but-"

"-If you don't want us here," Ivy's eyes narrowed, "maybe we should leave."

"No, that's not what I meant!" Nightwing cried. "I said _but- _we really need to work together on this one-"

"-I think they should go," Aqualad snapped.

"You know Kid Fish," Ivy hissed, standing up despite Red Hood trying to hold her back, "I think all of us would like it if you would-"

"-IVY!" Harley warned. "We _need_ everyone."

"Why should we trust you?" Aqualad asked.

"Do you have any better ideas, Gills?" Ivy snapped at him. Red Hood reached his hand to stop Ivy as she advanced toward Aqualad, but Harley held up a hand to stop her. Ivy glanced at her with her eyes still burning. Harley turned fully to face Aqualad as a clear invitation for him to speak his mind.

"How can we we trust you? Where did you get all this information? How do we know this isn't a trap?"

"Because I say it isn't," Ivy snapped at him. Aqualad turned on her.

"And miss plant girl over here isn't helping your case," he spat at Ivy. "You bring all of these _villains_," he sneered, "in here and expect us to follow your rules."

"Then why don't you leave?" Ivy challenged.

"No," Harley sighed.

"Nightwing!" Aqualad turned on him. "You're the closest thing we are going to have to a _real_ leader here, are you just going to put up with this?" Nightwing opened his mouth to respond, but Jason cut him off.

"Watch it kid!" Red Hood warned. The other villains looked a little fidgety too.

"We don't need to help you junior heroes," Catwoman sneered and turned away.

"Catwoman, no!" Harley cried in frustration.

"Why don't you leave with them?" Aqualad snapped at her. "You don't belong here anyway."

"Hey!" Nightwing shouted over them, glaring at Aqualad furiously, his eyes hidden behind his mask. "If _I'm_ the 'closest thing we're going to have to a real leader', then it's not your _place _to be saying who can and can't be here, now is it?" he yelled. He looked around the room at all of them. "_I'm _not in charge. Harley _is._ I'm not going to say that I'm thrilled to be working with some of you because I'm _not_, and I know that's how we all feel right now, but this is a lot bigger than 'heroes and villains,' all right? We need to shut the hell up and work _together _on this."

"Yeah, come on guys!" Red Hood yelled. "Super Friends for the win!"

Red Hood cried out as Ivy smacked him on the back of the head, nearly knocking him off of the couch. Nightwing pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, Red Hood is an _idiot_, but he has a point," he sighed as Red Hood groaned angrily, glancing at Ivy as he rubbed the back of his head. She crossed her arms.

"Oh please, you're wearing a helmet you're fine," Ivy snapped.

"Yeah, but it _echoes_-" he mumbled irritably.

"-like a fish tank!" Beastboy said helpfully, and then glanced guiltily at Aqualad. Nightwing laughed a little.

"So can we all put our differences aside, no matter how big they may be, to keep the Joker from killing us all? Because I don't know about you all, but being a hero would be a lot less interesting without you villains, and I think you might miss us heroes, too." Nightwing put his hands on his hips, looking around.

"Fine," Aqualad snapped, "but I'm not taking orders from the Joker's girlfriend."

Harley quickly put a hand on Dick's chest as he made a move towards Aqualad, his fists clenching at his sides. He stopped when she restrained him, his jaw pushed forward angrily. "Be as angry as you like, Aqualad, but start attacking _her_, and you'll answer to _me._"

"I'd walk away," Robin advised quietly, a little ways out of the group. Aqualad stormed out of the room. Everyone looked around awkwardly and started mumbling. Selina stormed over toward Robin and Talia, her eyes hard, and Scarecrow slipped down the hall.

"Okay!" Red Robin called, doing a headcount around the room. "Nobody leaves!"

"Nightwing," Starfire cried, sliding between him and Harley. "Why is there strife between the 'Super Friends'?" A little ways off, Beastboy laughed loudly at his own joke as Raven's face stayed hard.

"It's complicated, Star," Nightwing smiled a little, his face relaxing. "It'll be fine, everyone just needs a minute to cool down." Harley wandered over by Red Hood and Ivy; Bane deposited Allie into her arms.

"But we will still save your planet?" Starfire asked.

"Of course we will," Nightwing grinned, but she could see through his smile. He was worried as he glanced at Harley.

"Wonderful!" she cried, throwing her arms around him.

"Starfire," Raven said. "Release Nightwing." Starfire looked at her confused.

"We need to talk about boundaries," Beastboy said, turning into a bird and fluttering over to her shoulder. Starfire stepped back from Nightwing.

"I do not understand. Have I done something… wrong?" She looked at them, and Nightwing smiled.

"-No, Star, it's fine-"

"-Dude, You're such a pushover," Beastboy muttered. "Starfire, he has a _girlfriend._ You can't just go around kissing people!" He added aside, "unless it's _me,_ of course."

"Well, yeah. I'm kind-of in a relationship. But it's okay, you didn't know that," he smiled, looking between the three of them. "It is _really _good to see you guys."

"Now all we're missing is Cyborg," Raven commented.

"Yeah, he went all big league," Beastboy said as he fluttered down and turned back into himself.

"He's my son!" Talia yelled from the other side of the room, staring Catwoman down. Talia had her hands gripping Robin's shoulders.

"Well you're a terrible mother," Catwoman snapped. Dick glanced at them.

"Shit, I've got to handle this, I'm sorry. We _will_ catch up, later, I want to hear all about Tamaran, and other dimensions, and- whatever you've been doing, Beastboy…" he trailed off as he hurried towards Talia, Catwoman, and Robin. "Hey, let's use our _indoor voices,_ okay!?" he hissed. "What the hell is going on?!"

"She…" Catwoman fumed.

"This woman has no right to tell me how to raise my son," Talia snapped.

"Whoa-" Nightwing caught Catwoman as she lunged at Talia. "Sel- _Catwoman-_ it's fine. Go find Red Robin and make sure he's not going to pop a vein trying to keep everyone away from his things." He looked at her earnestly, and she reluctantly walked off with one final glare at Talia. Robin looked up at Nightwing, frowning as Talia put a hand on his shoulder. "And _you_-" Nightwing snapped as he yanked Robin away from Talia, tucking the boy behind him- "Stay away from him."

"He is my son," she snapped.

"He's _Batman's _son. You knew damn well what you were giving up when you left him with us; you made your decision. And so did _he,_" Nightwing said darkly.

"Damian?" she asked, looking down at him.

"Mother," he sighed, looking at her, an eyebrow raised. "I know my place. I am _not _an assassin, I don't know how much clearer I could make it. I do not want to return with you. I respect you, so respect _me. _I am Robin," he uncrossed his arms, walking away from them in indication that the discussion was over. Dick looked down.

"I'm sorry, Talia," he said quietly, and then left her to go find Harley. Red Hood was talking to Starfire while Arsenal stood a little way off listening. Bane was watching Allie chase mouse Beastboy around while Ivy and Harley chatted. Nightwing bit his lip before walking toward them, stopping at Harley's side.

"Hello," she smiled up at him.

"How's your girlfriend?" Ivy asked with a smirk.

"She's not- okay, that wasn't my fault. I don't even…" he shook his head as he looked down, his cheeks pink under his mask. Harley laughed at him.

"You get any more ex girlfriends in one room, and they could have a party."

"Hey, I'm sorry okay," he mumbled, blushing even harder. "So Red Robin's said that we can stay here for the night, prep for stuff tomorrow. Batgirl is going to go back to the Batcave," Nightwing said, eager to change the subject. "Sorry, Ivy, I don't think he's okay with any…" he trailed off, biting his lip. "They can't stay here."

"Obviously," she sighed, standing up. "Now excuse me while I go find Crane." Nightwing rubbed the back of his neck, wincing a bit.

"I am really sorry," he said, looking at Harley.

"I think I win 'worst past relationship that won't go away'," she chuckled. He laughed.

"Yeah, I think you do," Nightwing agreed, watching her. She couldn't see his blue eyes behind his mask, but he didn't stop smiling.

"I've got it!" Red Hood exclaimed. Harley and Nightwing glanced over. "The Outlaws."

"I don't think so," Harley sighed.

"I like it," Starfire offered, and Red Hood beamed at her.

"Uh, Red?" Harley muttered, and he looked at her. "Red." She tilted her head to indicate Ivy glaring at him from the hall.

"So, how about a tour," Red Hood said, hastily sliding over to Ivy's side. She didn't look amused.

"You weren't even a Titan!" Red Robin yelled at him. Nightwing rolled his eyes.

"Just occupy him for a while so he doesn't get bored and hack your systems," he said to Red Robin, dropping down on the couch. Wonder Girl saw the look on Red Robin's face.

"Come on," she said, grabbing his hand. "It'll be fine."

Nightwing laughed as Beastboy materialized at his side, grinning evilly. "You wanna go see if the _stuff _we put in the wall is still there?" he hissed, and Nightwing's face lit.

"Do you think-?" he grinned and they both ran off into the tower, Beastboy calling over his shoulder.

"Raven come on!" he cried, and she shrugged, hiding her smiling. Starfire came back into the room, looking around. Spoiler, Black Bat, and Batgirl sat on the couch, talking casually, and Nightwing had left Harley standing by the high windows. Starfire drifted over to her.

"Where are Beastboy, Raven, and Nightwing?" she asked.

"Checking a wall I think," Harley shrugged, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I do not understand," Starfire said, looking perplexed. Batgirl glanced at them.

"I don't really either," Harley admitted. Starfire looked down awkwardly as they heard someone laugh down the hall.

"You are… Nightwing's 'girlfriend'?" She smiled, making a flimsy attempt at conversation.

"Um, yes," Harley laughed nervously, rubbing her hands on her pants. "I guess you could call me that."

"You are very lucky," she said earnestly, and then hesitated. "He is… a good man."

"Hey, Harley," Batgirl called, smiling and motioning her over. Starfire looked down.

"I will go find Beastboy and Raven now…" She drifted away.

"Yes?" Harley stopped beside Batgirl and shot a quick glance at Spoiler and Black Bat. Spoiler casually pulled her hood down, holding out a hand.

"Stephanie Brown," she introduced herself, smiling. "Glad to hear you've joined the good guys," she winked.

"Oh, hello," Harley said, shaking her hand in surprise. "Harleen Quinzel, but I think that's common knowledge, so I won't bother to take the mask off."

"No problem," Stephanie waved a hand dismissively. "Just thought you should at least see my face. This here is Cassandra Cain-" she glanced at Black Bat, who crossed her arms- "but I guess she's going to be difficult about this." She nudged Black Bat. "C'mon, say hi to your future sister-in-law," she joked. Harley couldn't see Black Bat's eyes behind her mask, but she could tell that she was glaring. Batgirl rolled her eyes.

"Stop it, Steph," she laughed, patting the couch next to her. "Sit, Harley," she smiled. Harley obediently sank into the spot beside her, her body tense.

"The silence really adds to your creepiness," she offered awkwardly to Black Bat.

"She has a hard time adjusting to change," Stephanie sighed sarcastically, and Black Bat looked down.

"It's not that I dislike the change, it's just hard to wrap my head around, okay?" She shrugged, glancing at Batgirl. She nodded sympathetically.

"I think its kinda badass having Harley Quinn on the team," Stephanie grinned, propping her feet up on the coffee table.

"Thanks," Harley mumbled, blushing. "Just please tell me one of you is better at naming it that Jason." Stephanie laughed.

"That boy, he cracks me up." She shook her head. "So? Have any trouble with Dick? Any problems with his lap dog yet?" she rolled her eyes. Batgirl leaned toward Harley.

"She means Damian. They have a… well they're…"

"He's the spawn of Satan, and arguably the most annoying half-sized human being I have ever met," Stephanie smiled curtly. Black Bat snorted.

"I think he still hates me for faking my death," Harley said, "but he was cute when he was quoting Shakespeare."

"Yeah, weird little Shakespeare-obsessed piece of…" Stephanie kept mumbling as Batgirl laughed.

"We're all warming up to you, I promise," she smiled at Harley encouragingly. "You'll fit right in." Nightwing suddenly sprinted into the room, laughing excitedly.

"It was still there! Guy's you've got to- just come here-" he grinned, and Spoiler pulled her hood back up as they all followed him onto the elevator. He pressed the button to go to the roof and smiled broadly at them all. "When BB and I lived here, we stashed a ton of fireworks in this wall and then sealed it back up and it was still _there_- Raven said we could light them off the roof-" The doors slid open and Nightwing dragged Harley out onto the roof. She wasn't sure when he'd taken hold of her hand. Beastboy beamed at them from the other end of the rooftop.

"Ready to blow, Robin!" he cried. Nightwing laughed.

"I'm not Robin!" The remaining heroes in Titans Tower had gathered on the roof to watch the display. "Let 'em fly, Beastboy!"

Raven drifted to Nightwing's side as Beastboy lit the fuse, morphing into a cheetah and sprinting away as the first set of fireworks went off. Nightwing grinned as the sky above them exploded into color.

"This is awfully childish," Raven said beside him, and Nightwing laughed.

"Tomorrow, we're going to war with the Joker. Let's enjoy a little thing, eh?" he grinned up at the fireworks, squeezing Harley's hand.

"Fine," Raven muttered as Beastboy ran up beside her, morphing into himself again. Harley laughed and flinched at a particularly bright explosion as she leaned her head on Nightwing's shoulder. He smiled at her and kissed her head, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and watching the fireworks, enjoying the brief moment of bliss.


	26. It's You

_**Tomorrow.**_

_**This is the collective breath of an orchestra before the first notes hit, in a ballad of epic proportions. The underwater silence before you break the surface. The calm before the storm. Everything prepared and ready, the makeshift team of heroes and villains will rest fitfully tonight.**_

_**Nightmares are the bane of any vigilante's existence; none know this more than Gotham's own. While nightmares loom over them, Dick Grayson and Harley Quinn talk of dreams- dreams of when they make it out alive tomorrow, when they return to Gotham; if they return at all.**_

"You know, Titans' Tower is a lot smaller than I thought it would be," Harley admitted. Nightwing shrugged, his smile splitting across his face again.

"Yeah, it's no Batcave." Harley leaned against the back wall of the elevator, smiling happily to herself.

"At least tomorrow, it will all be over," she sighed. "Good or bad."

"It will be good," he squeezed her hand, the elevator doors sliding open. He led her down the hall to his room and the door slid open silently before them. He flicked the light on. "They haven't changed their guest rooms a bit," he laughed, taking his mask off and shaking his hair out from his face. Harley took her mask off, stretching her arms above her head as she looked around the room.

"Not as fancy as the Manor, but way nicer than the safe house." She smiled up at Dick. "I wonder where we'll be tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, at this time?" Dick smiled, taking her hands and pulling her close. "Hopefully this time tomorrow, this will all be close to over, and we'll be safe. As safe as a vigilante and an ex-criminal can be. Does it matter where we are, as long as we're together?" He nuzzled her nose with his, still grinning.

"Not at all," she breathed, tracing her thumb along his jaw. She softly pressed her lips against his. He smiled into her kiss as the door slid open behind them.

"Oh. Sorry, guys," Tim cleared his throat. "I just thought you might want some extra blankets," he laughed nervously, dropping them on the bed. "Sorry. Carry on. Good night," he waved as he walked to the door.

"Get some rest, Tim," Dick called after him as the door slid shut.

"I'm sure he's thinking the same thing about us," Harley chuckled. Dick laughed in agreement and walked to the bed where his bag was, pulling out a t-shirt and pants.

"We probably should get some rest, though, for tomorrow. You especially should," he added, pulling the top of his Nightwing suit over his head.

"Dick," Harley said, stepping in front of him and tilting her head up as she forced him to look into her eyes. "I'm not going to break."

"I told you, that's not going to stop me from worrying about you," he bit his lip and finished changing, sitting on the edge of the bed. Harley sighed and took her belt off. She started undoing her corset. "Let me help." Dick bit his lip and smiled, and he pulled her towards him. Unlacing her corset for her, he hooked his thumbs in her belt loops and kissed her stomach gently. He looked up at her, smiling.

"Thank you," she whispered, kissing his forehead. She kissed his nose then his lips. Dick's brow furrowed earnestly as he pulled her close, kissing back. Harley grabbed either side of his face, burying her fingers in his hair. She nibbled his lower lip as she sat down on his legs, wrapping an arm around his back.

"Harley-" he mumbled, kissing her back hesitantly, his hands on her hips.

"What?" she asked, leaning back to look into his eyes. Her thumb was tracing circles on the back of his neck.

"I…" he blinked distractedly, looking up at her. "We can't. I can't." He bit his lip nervously.

"What?" she asked again, her eyes confused as her thumb paused.

"I don't want to hurt the baby," he blushed, looking down.

"Dick," Harley groaned in frustration, dropping her head on his shoulder. "I told you I wouldn't do anything that put the baby in danger. We aren't going to hurt the baby," she told him sternly.

"Well sue me for being nervous!" he cried. "I did just find out about it, you know! I don't know anything about babies!" Dick frowned, running a hand through his hair. Harley laughed softly into his shoulder.

"That's okay," she whispered, kissing his neck. "We can figure it out together."

"Together…" he repeated, closing his eyes. One hand sifted through her hair while the other slipped under her corset, resting on the small of her back.

"Now if only you could take up some of the annoying symptoms," she joked with a grin, planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Tell me what I can do to help," Dick smiled, kissing her collarbone and then wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Hmmm," she pondered, smiling mischievously. "I may need a lot of back massages. Maybe some foot rubs." She laughed.

"Anything you want," he replied seriously, smiling at her. "Anything that I can do to help you." She leaned in to give him a kiss.

Once she broke it off, she whispered, "I want you. I want us. _That_ is what I want." Dick stared at her, bringing a hand up and stroking her cheek. His familiar smile wasn't on his face, but she'd never seen so much love in his eyes. He smiled a little, looking her in the eyes.

"Marry me."

Harley froze. Her eyes went wide, and Dick didn't think she was breathing. She didn't say anything for the longest time.

"Harley?" he asked.

"Did you just ask me to marry you?" she asked weakly. He paused, and then smiled nervously.

"Yeah, I think I did."

"You can't do that," she cried.

"What? I-" he looked at her, biting his lip. "Why not?"

"Dick," she sighed, kissing his forehead. "For starters, if you're going to ask a girl to marry her, don't do it like this. Not romantic." She smiled gently at him. "And you can't use proposing as a solution. Asking someone to marry you," she creased her brow searching for the right words, "isn't to solve a problem. It's for when two people together are so happy, it's the only thing that could make them happier. It's a testament of love," she laughed glancing around the room, "not because your formerly dead girlfriend is pregnant sitting half naked on your lap before going out on a mission." She kissed him gently. "I love you, but the answer is no. For now," she added with a wink. Dick smiled, closing his eyes and looking down.

"I suppose that was a bit…" he laughed a little and shook his head, looking back up at her. "I'm sorry. It was a bit rash, but I'm an on-a-whim kind of guy. I don't really _think _before I jump out onto the trapeze bar, because I know that there's a net to catch me. I refuse to believe that I would ever screw up so bad on a spur-of-the-moment decision that I'd end up dead or anywhere parallel to it. I don't believe that I could hit so hard that it'd all be over. Even in the worst case scenarios, the world keeps on turning." Dick smiled a bit, his dark hair sifting over his forehead. "Besides, it was worth a shot." He shrugged, but she could tell that he was a bit embarrassed and maybe even a little hurt. "You're right. I love you, but it's… not the right time, not the right situation." Dick kissed her slowly, his lips soft and his taste intoxicating. With an effort she broke the kiss off.

"You are a hard person to say no to, Richard Grayson," she breathed, her lips brushing his.

"Mmm- and why is that?" he asked, a smile playing at his lips as his hands traced down her sides gently, pulling her body against his.

"Because you're so easy to love," she murmured. She hitched one of her legs up on the bed, wrapping it behind his back as her hands clung to his shirt. "And I always want to say yes." She kissed the hollow beneath his ear.

"Well don't tell me I'm _that _persuasive, it might go to my head, you know." Dick joked, biting his lip. His hands gripped her hips, and she could feel his heart skip faster with his chest pressed against hers.

"We don't want that." Her lips came to a stop at his shoulder. Dick laughed.

"Of course not," he mumbled, lying back on the bed and taking her with him. He smiled up at her. "For some reason, I still can't believe you're here. I never want to wake up from this dream."

"Then we'll both agree to keep sleeping," she said as she laid her head on his chest.

"You know… if anything were to happen tomorrow, I'd be perfectly happy spending this night with you." Dick smiled and closed his eyes, wrapping his arm around Harley's shoulders.

"Don't bring up nightmares," Harley whispered, her hands balling in his shirt. "Not now."

"Sorry," he said quietly. "Then tell me about your dreams." Dick smiled, sitting up and slipping his t-shirt off. He pulled it over Harley's head and she finished changing, crawling under the covers with him.

"Well they involve this really good acrobat I know," she said, propping her head up with her elbow. "Sometimes there's a trapeze, but only when I'm lucky."

Dick laughed. "If you're lucky." He smiled and tucked her into his side under his arm, resting a cheek on her head. "What else?"

"Different endings to rooftop meetings where I also really wanted to say yes. And this _great_ day I had on a boat once," she giggled.

He smiled and closed his eyes, inhaling her rosy perfume. "What about the future?"

"Hmmm, that's harder." She paused for a moment. "You. I see you. That's all I'm sure of."

"Of course I'll be there. And the baby too." He smiled, pressing his lips into her hair.

"I wonder what the baby will be like," Harley mused. "Girl or boy? Blonde hair or black? I hope it has your eyes," she admitted, blushing. "And your smile."

"I hope it picks up your accent," Dick laughed, smiling at the thought. "What do you want? Boy or girl?"

"I don't know!" Harley cried. "I mean I would love a little boy just like you, but a girl would be cute too." She made an exasperated noise. "I can't decide. Do you know what you want?"

"Not really. A little girl would be nice," he shrugged, smiling. He kissed her head, feeling more and more relaxed about the situation as they just _talked _about it. It felt normal.

"Boy or girl it's our baby." She laughed. "Us as parents. What are we going to do with ourselves?"

"You, for one, will make an excellent mother," he smiled a little, holding her close. "I'm a lot more worried about Uncle Jason or Uncle Damian being problems."

"They will not be left alone with the baby," Harley agreed. "Tim should be fine."

"Tim can babysit the other two," Dick mumbled, smiling.

"When should we tell them?" Harley asked, closing her eyes.

"Like we said before. After all of this business with the Justice League has blown over," Dick shrugged, his arms warm around her.

"This is going to be rough. Hey Bruce I'm alive, and by the way everyone…"

Laughing, Dick shook his head. "This will be fun."

"Fun wasn't the word I would have used, but sure," Harley said, rolling her eyes.

"It'll be a shock. Lord knows it was when you said it to me," Dick smiled, glancing at her.

"Said it? I have a person growing in me. It was _definitely_ surprise to find out myself." She laughed. "I couldn't believe it for the longest time."

"You win," Dick smiled. "Hey… if I hadn't followed Jason to your 'house' that night… would you have told me that you were alive, eventually?"

"Of course. It was just… complicated." She buried her face in his chest a little more. "I didn't know what to say. 'I'm alive, still love you, and I've been running around messing with criminals. Also, I'm pregnant with your child, but I'm not sure if you still love me because you got back together with your old fiancee. By the way, the Joker is planning to kill everyone'... Not exactly something I knew how to deal with."

"I'm sorry, but I only heard 'I'm alive, still love you, and pregnant with your child' in that," Dick grinned, holding her close as he stroked the back of her head.

Harley laughed. "You only listen to the good things."

"I hardly listen to anything. But usually it's only the good things that get through, yes," he smiled, kissing her cheek. Harley sighed happily.

"It's strange to think how right this feels when a little over _two _months ago we were the most unlikely pair to fall in love. It seems like we've been together like this forever." She snuggled in closer to him as he pulled the blankets up over her shoulder.

"Well if you believe everyone in my family," Dick sighed, "I fall in love too quickly. But like I said; I don't ever listen to anything," he smiled, kissing her head.

"I didn't hear anything bad," Harley mumbled. Suddenly, she punched him in the arm. "Just don't fall in love with any more women."

Dick laughed, rolling onto his side and looking at her, pulling the blankets up over his mouth. She could tell he was grinning. "Well there's this _one _girl," he raised his eyebrows, his blue eyes sparkling over the top of the blankets.

"Don't even," she warned, glaring at him. Dick laughed, throwing his hands up.

"Don't what!? What was I gonna say?" He looked at her, his eyes still shining.

"Sorry," she muttered burying her face in his pillow. "I'm just being ridiculous. It's just so hard to compete with all the great romances you've had sometimes," she admitted, her voice muffled.

"You don't even know what I was going to say," Dick pushed her hair behind her ear, smiling.

"What?" she asked, her face still buried in the pillow. He wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her close. Harley squealed as Dick suddenly lifted her up and pulled her out of the pillow, resting her on his chest so she had to look at him.

"There's this one girl, Harley, and I think she's _the _one." He put a hand on her cheek. "She's the most adventurous romance that I've ever had. She's crazy and ridiculous and talented and _beautiful_- I love _you_, Harley. What do I keep telling you about the past?" he looked at her expectantly, smiling.

"I don't know," she giggled. "You lost me in the middle at crazy."

"I keep telling you that I don't _listen _to the past," he smiled, looking in her eyes. "And there's only one woman in my future. Do you know who that is?"

"Um," she pretended to think. "Selina?"

"Do you think that I would ever try to steal something from Bruce?" He looked at her skeptically, laughing.

"You've done crazier," she said. "Literally. I am pregnant aren't I?" She grinned. Dick bit his lip, smiling at her.

"It's you. I want to hear you say it. I don't want any more of you feeling like you're not good enough for me, you hear?" He kissed her nose. "Say it, say that you're the one that I love."

"Or what?" she countered, her eyes gleaming. He thought for a moment, smiling.

"Or I'll marry you," Dick's lips brushed hers. "Say it."

"That's not a very good threat," she advised, kissing the corner of his mouth. He grinned again.

"Why won't you just say it?" he whispered, closing his eyes.

"Fine," she smirked. "You love me almost as much as I love you." Dick smiled and kissed her gently. Harley leaned into the the kiss, and he wrapped his arms around her, his hands resting on the small of her back.


	27. Now That I Have Your Attention

_**And so it begins.**_

_**Teams have been deployed to every location with a LexCorp Joker Gas device, and Red Robin, Wonder Girl, Robin, Harley Quinn and Nightwing begin their mission to save Superman, hoping to lead him to the Justice League to help.**_

_**The siege on the heavily guarded LexCorp tower is a dangerous one, and Nightwing is reluctant to let Harley Quinn out of his sight- last time he did, she wound up dead. He can't face the same failure again. He can't lose her.**_

Dick slowly but surely worked his way out of Harley's arms without waking her, threw on his costume, and shuffled down the hall to the elevator. He figured that he ought to wish everyone luck before they all set off to stop the Joker from gassing the world with a toxic poison.

_Hopefully,_ Nightwing added, _they won't _need _the luck. _Harley's plan was smooth, and they should run into no more trouble than whoever the Joker had guarding each machine. The elevator doors slid open, and most of the 'team' was gathered in the main room. _Term used loosely, _Nightwing thought. He wound through all of the costumed heroes to Red Robin, where he stood with his Teen Titans.

"Everything going well, I see," Nightwing commented, glancing at him.

"Yeah," Red Robin muttered. "It's a good thing Ivy is sending the villains off from somewhere else, though."

"Things seem calmer without them here," Nightwing agreed. "Are _you _ready?" He watched him carefully, trying not to look worried.

"Trying to be," Red Robin admitted. Nightwing smiled.

"You'll do fine." He wished the other Titans luck as he walked away. He was just glad that he would have Robin and Red Robin on his team; he could watch over his little brothers. Nightwing wandered toward Starfire and Raven. "Morning, girls. Thanks again, for dropping everything and coming here. It's a huge weight off of my shoulders, knowing that you're here. That I have someone who I _know _for sure I can count on to get the job done."

"We will be waiting for your signal!" Starfire cheerfully cried.

"Thrilling," Raven muttered. Nightwing smiled and hugged them both.

"In case we don't get the chance to say goodbye afterwards," he looked at them both. "Good luck!"

"I don't need luck," Raven said, as Starfire pulled them both in for another hug.

"I have loved seeing you, my friends!"

"It was good to see you too, Star," Nightwing hugged them both back, laughing. He felt a momentary pang of homesickness for their team and this place, but he quickly shrugged it off. Nightwing tried to make his way to the kitchen, but he was stopped every few feet by another hero. Looking around the room, he couldn't see a single one that he hadn't worked with, helped, or done a favor for. Some he'd saved, and some he'd fought, but no matter their relationship with him; they all had one thing in common. Every one of them looked at Nightwing with respect.

When he finally made it to the kitchen, he sighed, leaning against the counter. Arsenal looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine. Just… got hit with a wave of nostalgia, there." He straightened and smiled, walking to the coffee pot. "How are you, Harper?"

"Peachy," Arsenal said, his tone dry. "And how are you?"

"Just fine," Nightwing smiled, pouring a cup of coffee and fixing it how Harley liked it, and then he grabbed a bottle of apple juice from the fridge. "Good luck out there."

He walked back to the elevator and stepped in, whisked back up to his hall. Nightwing opened his bedroom door quietly. Harley was dressed and sitting on the bed. She looked up at him when he entered, pouting.

"I don't think I'll be able to wear this anymore," she sighed, her arms crossed over her stomach. "I swear I grow overnight." She pulled at her corset as if trying to make it longer.

Nightwing's eyebrow flicked up, examining her pulling at her tight uniform. "What's the matter, does it not fit right? Because I see _nothing _wrong with that," he grinned.

"Stop it," she whined. "I feel like a cow." She flopped her hands down in frustration. "Everyone is going to take one look at me and _know_."

"Harley it's fine. You know, some people think cows are cute," he joked, and then covered his mouth at the risk of getting his ass kicked. "You look great, Harles, it's okay. No one's gonna know."

"Are you sure?" she asked, poking where her stomach was starting to go soft. Nightwing laughed and grabbed her hand.

"Stop that, don't poke it, you'll upset the baby," he smiled. "I'm sure. We've got things to do. Here," he held out the coffee to her. She glanced at it before staring up at him, an amused smile flashing across her face.

"You wanna think about that for a second?" He frowned, and then realization slowly dawned on him. He bit his lip, handing her the bottle of apple juice.

"Sorry," he smiled. "I forgot."

"At least you didn't bring a bottle of wine or ask if I wanted a cigarette because that would be up to a level you should never forget even being new to this." She pulled the cap off and took a swig. He laughed.

"No, I don't think I'd forget that." He hesitated, looking down at the floor. "Are you ready for this? For today, I mean?"

"Yeah," Harley said as she stood up and put her arms on his shoulders, flexing her fingers behind his neck. "Besides, you'll be there. Isn't that the safest place to be?" She kissed his nose.

"If you're with me, I can keep an eye on you. Make sure you don't get yourself into trouble," he smiled, putting his hands on her hips.

"Oh, do you mean like going to see the man who thinks he killed me with the intention of ruining his plans and making him angry? You're going to have to be more specific." Nightwing bit his lip nervously, his brow furrowing in worry. "Hey, I'm a big girl with Antitoxin who can take care of herself," she said seeing his expression. "And _you'll_ be there," she reminded him. "Along with all of the League. Nothing bad is going to happen."

"Batman was there last time. And I couldn't save you," he said quietly.

"But you weren't supposed to." She kissed him on the cheek. "This time I'm not going anywhere."

"You'd better not," he threatened, a smile playing at his lips. "I can't go through that again," he added weakly.

"You won't have to. And if you're so worried, I'm sure Superman wouldn't say no if _you _asked him to be my bodyguard." She laughed for a second. "Don't actually do that," she reconsidered her joke. Nightwing laughed a little.

"You know I was considering it, right?" he smiled, putting the coffee mug down on the nightstand. She swatted his chest.

"You're ridiculous."

"See, but you knew that and you still love me, so that's one for you." He kissed her cheek, taking her hand and leading her to the door.

"Yeah, caring too much for my well being, _such_ a flaw," she mocked.

"I know, right?" he clicked his tongue. "I'm such a clingy boyfriend." Nightwing winked at her as they got onto the elevator.

"This doesn't change the fact that Superman still can't be my bodyguard," she warned him.

"I know. Looks like you'll have to settle for me," he laughed, and the elevator doors slid open.

"How will I bear it?!" Harley cried dramatically, and Wonder Girl glanced at her curiously.

"I can _try _to be more like Superman," Nightwing laughed, sweeping her off of her feet and carrying her off of the elevator in his arms.

"I thought you _were_ Superman. You mean that song was a lie!" She gasped in mock horror, grinning uncontrollably. Nightwing laughed harder, holding her tight. He didn't care that he was making a fool of himself in front of their team. Robin looked on disdainfully as Nightwing kissed her gently.

"I really hate to interrupt," Red Robin mumbled, not really trying to be heard. Nightwing put Harley on her feet, his lips still locked with hers as he smiled into her kiss, ignoring Red Robin.

"We're on a schedule," Robin hissed. Nightwing held up one finger, trying not to laugh as he kissed Harley again.

"I don't remember him being like this," Wonder Girl whispered to Red Robin. Nightwing pulled back from Harley, grinning. She rolled her eyes at him. His dark hair fell over his forehead, and he pushed it back, looking at the others.

"What are we all waiting for? Don't we have a hero that needs saving?" Robin huffed, storming away toward the Zeta-Tubes. "Oh come on, Boy Wonder, don't be like that," Nightwing cried, following him. He didn't let go of Harley's hand. Red Robin pulled Wonder Girl along, shaking his head at her as he laughed.

"You'll get used to it," he told her. Robin was at the controls, setting in the location for the beam.

"This will get us ten blocks away from Lexcorp."

"Nightwing," Red Robin turned to him. "You'll have to take Harley through. She isn't authorized alone."

"Not going to be a problem," Nightwing nodded. Robin ignored them all, stepping into the tube and vanishing. Wonder Girl followed, and then Red Robin. "Harley," Nightwing said, turning to her. "We won't be able to do this in the field, so I wanted to say it now. I love you, and good luck. You know I'll be right beside you." He took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately, his lips soft and purposeful on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his arms wound around her waist as she kissed him back. When he finally broke away, Nightwing hugged her tight. "All right. See you on the other side, sweetheart." He took her hand and stepped into the Zeta-Tube, and Harley heard him mutter '_Diagon Alley' _before there was a short, loud rushing sound as they stepped into a dark alleyway.

Harley blinked and spun around. "Okay, that's badass," she breathed, grinning.

"Yeah, the League keeps all the cool stuff for themselves," Nightwing agreed quietly as they joined Red Robin, Wonder Girl, and Robin.

"That's where we're going," Red Robin muttered, craning his neck to look at the visible top of Lexcorp's headquarters. Nightwing shielded his eyes following Red Robin's line of sight. "What's the plan of attack?"

"We're going to have to go in with force. Superman's most likely being held in the basement; there was a lot of heavy duty construction going on there last month and nobody knows what it was for." Nightwing said, looking at the three of them.

"When did you find that out?" Red Robin asked.

"I did some research last night," Nightwing glanced at Harley. "I couldn't sleep…" She glared at him.

"And what would you have done if _I _didn't sleep?" she demanded.

"You _know _what I would've done," Nightwing grinned. "Anyway, the only way to the basement is an elevator that won't even open without a code, and then a separate code closes the door and takes you down."

"Simple hacking," Red Robin agreed.

"Not so simple," Nightwing looked at him. "The elevator is in the _lobby._ And it's specially built so the shaft doesn't go beyond the lobby, either. There's no way to access it without walking through the front doors."

"I thought that might be a problem, so I scouted out the system a while back," Harley said, one of her hands rubbing her forehead. "_I_ don't have the ability to hack it, but the data is stored within a linked system so once hacked, it would be simple to retrieve the codes from any terminal." She sighed. "That includes the one in the lobby, and we need the passcodes, but we won't exactly blend in in the lobby for long."

"No," Red Robin agreed, glancing around at them. Nightwing bit his lip.

"Even with hacking, passcodes- the elevator has a shutdown mechanism able to trap anyone inside, activated at the front reception desk. Not to mention security that was made to keep _Superman _ in, and the likes of _Wonder Woman _out. But I may have a plan," he smiled, looking at each of them individually.

Robin and Nightwing tumbled through the tall glass doors of the Lexcorp lobby, coming to a stop on the marble floor. Nightwing looked around.

_Eleven guards. All armed. Secretary looks suspicious, too_. He mentally checked the room as the guards rushed them. "No killing!" he snapped at Robin, who looked out for blood. Wonder Girl and Red Robin dove in through the doors as Nightwing leapt over a security guard. "Now why would an _office _need eleven security guards?" he asked, as Robin and Wonder Girl dove into the fight. Red Robin nodded at Nightwing, and they both took off towards the elevator. Nightwing slid to a stop by the keypad, pulling out his minicomputer.

"I'll bet I can get this faster than you," Red Robin grinned, working on it at the same time.

"Bull shit," Nightwing laughed. "You can't beat me, I was doing this long before you were, Boy Wonder number-"

"-One! I win!" Red Robin cried as the doors slid open. The sounds of fighting were beginning to die behind them. "That was easy," he said, but then his smile faded as he looked over Nightwing's shoulder. "Forget I said that."

The secretary had stepped up onto his desk, his hands and eyes emitting flames that shot twisted sparks. He grinned.

"Well, Shit," Nightwing said. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire-" they dodged as he shot a stream of flame at them. "Wonder Girl, keep him away from that button!" Nightwing cried, looking at her. She nodded once and rushed at the flaming secretary, and Red Robin and Nightwing rolled onto the elevator. Robin slid through the doors as they closed, yanking his cape in before it got caught.

Harley stood on the side of the Lexcorp tower staring up. She could hear some commotion from the main street but ignored it. Taking a deep breath, she carefully aimed the grappling hook at the lip protruding from the top building. She was doubtful it could make it.

Pulling the trigger, the wire shot out with a snap. It embedded itself, and she pulled the line taught. Her aim hadn't been true, and the line was a little more left than she would have wanted, but she could swing it.

She smiled as the grappling hook yanked at her shoulder, pulling her up through the air. _I have got to get me one of these_, she thought as she laughed at the wind in her hair. As she flew up past the window she wanted, Harley flicked a small detonator out of her belt. The bulletproof glass exploded inward with a large boom. Glass spiraled down to the street as Harley swung out and around on the wire, swinging in toward the broken window. She released the grappling hook, leaning forward as she landed on her hands and rolled forward onto her shoulders.

She popped up to her feet, glass raining off of her back.

"Surprise!" she called. The cuts from rolling through the glass stung before healing, and Harley hoped the scars would fade before Dick saw her. Lex was still sitting behind his desk, his arm raised to protect his face from the explosion. His secretary raised her arm, but Harley had already thrown a small charge that landed on her arm, shorting out her circuitry.

"Why don't you back off Mercy," Harley mocked. "Before I make you beg for your name."

"Harley Quinn?" Lex raised his eyebrows, stunned. "I thought you were dead." He got to his feet.

"Well there are a lot of things you don't know." Harley rolled her eyes. "So now that I have your attention, why don't we all sit down and have a nice chat about the end of the world."


	28. A Matched Set

_**Step One.**_

_**Harley Quinn must convince Lex Luthor that this isn't what he wants, the Joker obliterating mankind- and that he must release Superman to do it. Only Harley would be able to talk him into releasing his arch enemy and calling off the security.**_

_**Meanwhile, Nightwing, Red Robin, Wonder Girl, and Robin have been tasked with Step Two: extract Superman from his kryptonite prison and get him back to full health. But will Harley be able to convince Lex before someone gets hurt?**_

Nightwing hummed Celine Dion as the elevator rolled down toward the basement.

"Shut up," Robin barked, watching the floor numbers descend. Nightwing fell silent, sighing loudly.

"We should be prepared for whatever is down here," he said. The elevator neared the final floor and then it suddenly stopped short, the lights turning off. "Okay, here's our stop? Help me get these doors open, Red Robin…"

Nightwing and Red Robin pulled against the heavy metal doors, but they could only pull them a few inches before they stopped.

"What are these made out of?" Red Robin cried, panting.

"Lead, I'm assuming," Robin said darkly, kneeling. "Hold it open, Red Robin, and try not to slip when your arms weaken."

Nightwing and Red Robin pulled it as far as they could, and Robin yanked Red Robin's retractable bo staff out of it's holster on his leg.

"Hey!" he cried.

"Shut up. This won't work for long," Robin said, glancing down. There was a two and a half foot gap into the basement hallway, and then solid concrete above it. Robin shoved the bo staff into the gap and then pressed the button to extend it; the ends shot out with incredible force and it wedged the doors open just wide enough for them to fit through. Robin slipped through the doors as the metal of the staff creaked. Red Robin dove through the hole, and Nightwing followed as the metal snapped and the heavy doors clanged shut, the sound echoing in the long hallway in front of them.

"Whoa," Nightwing breathed, glancing at his partners, their masked faces bathed in green light. Kryptonite lined the long concrete hallway, panels of it embedded in the walls casting a ghoulish green glow down it's length to a single door at the end. "So do you think Superman's down there?" Nightwing elbowed Red Robin, smiling. He examined the hallway. No cameras, no booby traps, no guards. So why did he get the eerie feeling that they were being _watched_?

"The Joker is going to wipe out all of humanity with his toxins. I've enabled a psychopath with world domination," Lex sat down slowly in his chair, pressing his fingertips together in thought.

"Yup. This is pretty much all on you," Harley said, leaning back in her chair and kicking her legs up on his desk. He waved a hand dismissively.

"Well I knew he was doing _something_ with the machines, I just didn't care what. I'd assumed that he was going to level Gotham, which wouldn't be a loss, in my opinion. I didn't know it was _this._ He's never been this 'bigger picture' before." Lex closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"He's never had an enabler before," Harley added, playing with a paper clip. "I mean, he can't exactly go to Wayne Enterprises for help." She smirked. Lex looked up at her, narrowing his cold eyes.

"What do you want me to do about it? Your situation seems pretty grim," he said evenly, leaning back in his chair.

"I think we both know what you need to do," she commented indifferently, flicking the paperclip at Mercy. "It's not like you really think I'm the front line in this whole ordeal."

He stood, walking over to the broken windows and gazing out. He looked at the empty frame and then glanced over his shoulder at her. "I don't suppose a slum girl like you would have the means to pay for this," he muttered. "Then again, perhaps your new boyfriend could help, I hear he's _quite _rich," he added nonchalantly, clasping his hands behind his back. One corner of Harley's lip turned up in a smile as she stared up at him, stretching her arms behind her back.

"None of that will matter in a few hours." She scrunched her nose in amusement. "I don't think the dead will care how rich you _were_."

"Oh don't worry, I've made _my _decision. And you've made yours, Ms. Quinn." He looked over his shoulder at her. "You're right, I can't let the Joker do this. I want to _use _humanity, for lack of a better word, not destroy it."

"You had me worried there for a second," Harley mocked. "I thought your conscience was showing." She tapped her fingers together, gazing around the huge office. "And it's Dr. by the way."

"My apologies, Dr. Quinn." He sat down at his computer, typing casually as if nothing had happened.

"So do I show myself out?" Harley asked, sitting forward in her seat. "Or should I give you my resume while I'm here?"

"I may have a position open for a woman of your caliber, just not one of your…" he glanced at her costume. "Hobbies, shall we say? And unless you'd like Mercy to show you out, I suggest you _move._ Your friends, they may still be in danger, correct?" He smiled darkly, waving. "Have a nice day, _Dr._ Quinn."

Nightwing didn't understand it. He hadn't seen a single guard on their walk down the hall, the door was a simple hack, and he'd grabbed Superman as Robin picked the locks on the kryptonite shackles with relative ease. He could only assume that Harley had done her job, and he hoped that she and Wonder Girl could figure out an exit strategy for them. Superman's arm was draped over Nightwing's shoulder as he half-dragged him back out of the door.

"You're really heavy, you know that?" Nightwing hissed, Red Robin and Robin walking ahead of him as they started down the hallway again. Superman tried to lift his head but it dropped back against his chest weakly, blood dripping from his lip. "Shit. Superman, we're going to get you out of here, okay, we'll be back up in the sunshine in-"

Red Robin and Nightwing cried out as the kryptonite panels along the hall all imploded, shattering into a million pieces. Lex Bots poured out of the empty spots in the walls, charging them from all sides, and Robin took a fighting stance.

"The… use electricity…" Superman panted, looking pale. Nightwing looked at him in confusion and then pulled out his escrima sticks, tossing one to Robin and the other to Red Robin.

"Electrocute them, that's the only way! Find a weak spot!" he called, dodging an eye beam from one of the robots. "They've got lasers!" Nightwing warned, backing against the wall with Superman. Robin and Red Robin began fighting them off.

"Thank you, obvious Nightwing," Robin snapped, swinging the escrima stick like a baseball bat against a Lex Bot's head.

"This would be a lot _easier _if I had my _bo staff_!" Red Robin shouted at Robin angrily, leaping into the air. He barely managed to dodge the robot's whirling arms and he jabbed the escrima stick into it's neck, only to have another Lex Bot pull him off.

"There are too many!" Nightwing cried, and Superman pushed him away into the fight, holding up a hand to show that he'd be fine. Nightwing bit his lip and then tossed several magnetized explosives at the Lex Bots, blowing them as he flipped over another towards Robin. "Red Robin, get Superman!" he cried, electrocuting the robot holding him. Red Robin shot away and grabbed Superman's arm, leaving Nightwing's escrima stick on the floor in the hallway.

Nightwing dove under a Lex Bot, planting explosives on it's legs and blowing them as he jumped to his feet. The robot toppled down and he electrocuted another, whirling around to pick up the escrima stick on the floor, when a Lex Bot caught him by the throat and threw him against the wall. Nightwing cried out, sliding to the floor and shaking the fuzziness away from hitting the concrete. He could see Red Robin struggling to the door, Lex Bots nearly overtaking him, and Robin pinned to the ground by another robot; more kept piling out of the holes in the walls.

Nightwing's Lex Bot gripped his neck and he gasped for air, his vision blurring.

Robin dodged the robot's blow and shoved his hand under it's helmet, tearing up the facemask. He grabbed either side of it's head and kicked his legs against its shoulders, doing a backwards somersault as he tore off the head.

The eyes of Nightwing's Lex Bot glowed red, preparing to fire a beam through his chest. Robin looked down at the head in his hands, and then threw it as hard as he could at the Lex Bot, just as it fired it's eye beam. The machine was knocked off balance and it released Nightwing, as he screamed in pain. Robin rushed to him.

"It's okay-" Nightwing gasped, looking at his arm where the laser had grazed it. Blood poured from the wound.

"It looks deep," Robin breathed. He barely had time to gasp before two more Lex Bots had grabbed his arms, and the one he'd just knocked off balance stood in front of him, it's eyes heating once more. Robin struggled against the other two, but it was no use. Suddenly, the Lex Bot's eyes fell dark, and it's head dropped to it's chest. It's entire body seemed to crumple inward a bit as it shut down, and so did every other in the hallway. Nightwing looked around, and then rested his head against the wall, the silence deafening.

"Oh thank you, Harley," he laughed weakly, looking at his arm again. Upon a second observation, he saw that it wasn't as bad as they'd thought, the skin around the wound burned to a point that the bleeding had slowed. He gritted his teeth and wrapped a bandage around it, standing. There was a sudden crash in the elevator shaft, and they all looked at it expectantly. Wonder Girl forced the doors open, panting. Her uniform was singed, and there was black soot smudges on her face.

"I've never been more happy to see you," Red Robin grinned, and Nightwing and Robin joined them by the elevator doors. Wonder Girl flew Superman and Red Robin to the top of the elevator shaft, and Nightwing and Robin grappled up to the ground floor.

"Nightwing!" Harley cried, rushing across the lobby. She examined the bloody bandaging around his arm and pursed her lips, clearly worried but not saying anything. "Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone is fine," Nightwing smiled. "Superman is going to need a minute to feel better, though, that was a lot of kryptonite."

"I'll be fine," Superman said weakly, leaning on Nightwing. "We should leave, before Luthor changes his mind."

"The back door is this way," Harley said leading the way, "so we can avoid the media frenzy I may or may not have created by blowing up Lex's office a bit." Superman raised an eyebrow, leaning on Nightwing's shoulder between them.

"She's the girl, right? The one you told me about?"

"Come on," Nightwing muttered, blushing a bit as they came out of a door into an alley. Superman glanced at Harley.

"He called me about you," he said matter-of-factly.

"What about me?" Harley froze in place to wait for them as Robin stormed past and Wonder Girl pulled Red Robin along. Superman was looking gradually better, the color returning to his cheeks, his perfect blue eyes clearing.

"Don't worry, just simple things. He didn't tell me about…" Superman trailed off, glancing at her stomach. "He only told me things like… oh how'd you put it, Nightwing, she has 'the prettiest laugh, and this way of getting in your head'-"

"-_Please_, stop, Superman," Nightwing begged, blushing harder. "We have a mission to focus on here." Harley smiled, nervously tucking a loose strand of hair back into place. Superman carefully stood and walked unsteadily by himself, controlling his breathing.

"I do like to tease him. I'm not his father, but I do like to think I had some hand in his upbringing," Superman smiled at Nightwing. "That being said," he lowered his voice, "I believe congratulations are in order. I'm happy for you two." Nightwing looked at him in horror, and then looked at the ground again. Superman laughed. "I am. You have nothing to worry about. Your secret's safe with me."

"Oh we are so bad at keeping this a secret," Harley mumbled, her cheeks bright red. Superman shook his head.

"Nonsense," he said, looking much better. He straightened up, putting his shoulders back. "We have bigger things to worry about now." They caught up with everyone at the Zeta-Tube location.

"We're all set to go to the Hall of Justice," Red Robin told them. "We'll be able to find out what's going on in the meeting room from the Zeta room."

"I'll meet you there," Superman stopped. "If I don't recharge, I'll be of no use to you at all. I'm weakened."

"Try not to beat us there," Nightwing joked as Superman slowly and unsteadily flew off. Robin moved aside the loose plank and disappeared into the hidden Zeta-Tube. Everyone else stood awkwardly waiting for their turn.

"You know you two look like a matched set," Wonder Girl told Nightwing and Harley as they stood next to each other. They both glanced down at their costumes.

"Yeah," Nightwing rubbed the back of his neck, laughing a little. "I guess we do."

"Hey, I was red first," Harley said as Red Robin disappeared into the tube. "Don't get me wrong," she smirked, "I like it, but what was wrong with the blue?"

"Nothing. When you died, I… needed a change." He smiled. "You were right. You _did_ wear red first. Why do you think I changed it?" Harley smiled up at him as Wonder Girl left as well.

"So we'll match for probably the last mission I'll get to do in, oh I don't know," she sarcastically rolled her eyes, "months." She laughed.

"I did it because I didn't want to forget you," he smiled. "Maybe we'll have to find a matching onesie for the baby." Nightwing's fingers laced with hers and they stepped into the Zeta-Tube. They came out, and Harley glanced around at the lounge area at odds with the military grade computer to the side. The two of them walked over to it and stood behind Red Robin, Wonder Girl, and Robin.

"The media outreach on the disappearance of Superman turned scary at the arrival of the Joker," a woman was reporting from outside the Hall. She looked frazzled and rushed through her words. "We're cutting back to NBC's feed of their reporter still in the room." Superman walked in the door as the screen cut to the Joker sitting on a machine and laughing.

"Now everyone calm down," he cackled. "The show is just starting."


	29. A Price

_**Superman is free.**_

_**But recharging, getting there; is going to take some time. Time they don't have. The Justice League had all gathered for a meeting, trapped in one room when the Joker arrived. And they can't do anything to stop him. Failsafes in place, to prevent any action by the heroes.**_

_**Harley Quinn's makeshift team may be the only thing standing between the Joker and the death of some of the most super powered humans in the world. But was that really his intention? And will his grip on the situation slip when he sees her?**_

The Joker leaned back on his menacing black machine and laughed. It was clear that he'd snapped somewhere along the line; his green hair hung in limp curls over his forehead, brown showing at the roots, and his white makeup ran down his face. Not that it mattered, the man beneath the paint was just as sickly white as his mask. His green eyes were unfocused, shot with red and rimmed in black, and his scarlet lipstick was smeared in a fiendish grin across his hollow cheeks. He laughed again.

"I'll ask you viewers at home to pull up a chair, grab the popcorn and don't touch that remote-" Joker flashed a smile at the camera, dropping into a voice like a late-night talk show announcer- "because we've got a great show for you tonight! Applause, applause from the studio audience!"

Lifting a cane tipped with a gold jester's bust, the Joker pushed the camera to the side to show the entirety of the Justice League, seated in chairs and looking grim. Not a single one was restrained, and not a single one moved. He turned the camera back towards him and slammed the end of the cane down on the tile floor with an echoing _crack,_ and then he planted both hands on it's head.

"We have got an _excellent _lineup for you tonight! Some magic; some hot celebrity gossip. Now, I'll introduce each guest as they step forward." Joker was certainly dressed for the occasion, in a long violet dress coat and a deep plum top hat. His fuchsia purple suit was crisply pleated and starched, giving his clothing a put-together look that contradicted the madness of his makeup running onto his gold-colored collar. He swept his top hat off of his head with a grin. "First, we have the protector of this 'sector' so I'm told. A light in the darkness, a man with will and strength who's not bad in the _love _department, either- ladies and gentlemen, the man without fear; Mr. Green Lantern!"

Joker clapped loudly and then turned the camera to Green Lantern, who sat stunned in his chair, his eyes narrowed under the white lenses in his green mask. He didn't move and the Joker sighed behind the camera. "Mr. Lantern, it makes it _so _much less fun for the rest of the audience if I have to hold you at gunpoint," he yawned, and Green lantern slowly stood with an encouraging nod from Wonder Woman. He walked forward and the Joker turned the camera around as Lantern joined him in front of it. "Good. Now state your name for the audience."

Joker smiled and held his cane towards Green Lantern like a microphone. Lantern looked at him quizzically, and the Joker raised his eyebrows, thrusting the cane in his face.

"Um… Green Lantern?" he looked at the Joker, who grinned darkly.

"Now now, Hal, no need for formality. I hear you're _quite _the pilot."

Green Lantern batted the cane out of his face. "What the hell do you want, Joker!? What the hell is this?!"

"It's, er- a magic show," the Joker let out a high-pitched giggle. "Now hold your hands up like I would have to if this were reversed," he laughed, pointing a finger gun at him and imitating the kick, closing one eye. Green Lantern raised his hands, jaw tight. The Joker turned to the camera. "Now for my audience at home- every single one of these capes has to do exactly as I tell them, because-" he pulled back his sleeve to reveal a gold-faced watch- "on the back of this little hunk of pricey metal is a heart monitor, and if my heart rate drops below- well, whatever it is now- that machine blows. And that blow sets off all the others, covering the planet and rendering you _extinct. _If they so much as scratch me, or that machine, for that matter- I can set it off. It will blow you all to smithereens. You know how you feel when you have a cold and your throat's all full of stuff? That's a bit how it feels to get this gas in your system. But bright side? You die with a _smile _on your face-" he laughed loudly, rubbing his gloved hands together gleefully. "Now, back to the show."

Joker looked earnestly into the camera. "To kick off the night, I'm going to make Mr. Green Lantern _disappear_." He grinned, flicking a joker card out of his sleeve. "But I'm going to do it, with just this." With a smile and a swift turn, his coat swept out as he threw the card at Green Lantern.

He scarcely had time to gasp before the razor-sharp card sliced three of his fingers clean off.

Green Lantern screamed and fell to one knee as his costume, generated by the ring that now lay on the floor in a pool of blood beside his severed finger, vanished into jeans and a t-shirt. He looked up at the Joker, Hal Jordan's brown eyes shocked as he clutched his hand to his chest.

"Ta-da!" Joker cried, kicking the lantern ring across the room. The Flash cried out in outrage as the audience of superheroes stirred hatefully, some of them standing up. Black Canary rushed past the Joker and began wrapping a strip of fabric around Hal's hand. The Joker grabbed her hair and hauled her to her feet, standing her in front of him. "Excellent, we have another volunteer."

"You son of a-"

"-a rabbit out of a hat for you, my dear. You look like quite the bunny yourself," Joker commented, eyeing her fishnet tights as he swept his top hat off of his head and reached in. Black Canary stepped back in alarm.

There was a scream from the audience, ringing out with the shot from the gun that the Joker pulled from the hat. Black Canary fell backwards, her wide, vacant blue eyes staring out at the audience with a bullet hole between them.

"NO!" Green Arrow roared, and raced towards the Joker at the same time Wonder Woman did. The Joker calmly fired two shots into Green Arrow's chest, and he fell onto Black Canary.

Grinning, Joker leapt back from Wonder Woman, catching the lasso in her hands and expertly wrapping it around her wrists. He wound it around her arms until she was tied tight in her own lasso.

"You'll make the perfect little lady to test my sawing in half trick," Joker hissed in her ear, smiling darkly. Hal collapsed behind them, blood still gushing from his severed fingers where he'd tried to stop it with his shirt, to no avail. Joker turned Wonder Woman toward the audience.

"For your own safety, I suggest that you all remain seated and keep the aisles clear while the magician is performing." He said, his voice like velvet as he pressed his gun against Wonder Woman's head. "I highly doubt she can recover from this. Unless she's as bulletproof as her boyfriend. Tell me, Diana, are you and the man of steel thinking about _tying the knot-_" he tightened her lasso around her arms and laughed- "anytime soon!? Did you _know _he has a girl back in Metropolis? America's golden boy has a bit of a _tarnish_ around the edges, doesn't he!? Now-"

"-Enough, Joker!" Batman shouted, the only man standing in the audience. A sickly sweet grin spread over the Joker's face.

"You'll have your turn, but for now, sit _down_. Wouldn't want Selina having a fit over your safety, now would we?" he hissed, and then turned as Superman burst through the doors. Joker's eyes widened as he positioned himself behind Wonder Woman, the gun still to her head, his hand at her back and holding the lasso tight. "Aw, hell," he groaned. "I knew you couldn't trust anyone these days, but Lex seemed like an okay ally. Shame that one didn't pan out," he grinned madly, staring at a spot just over Superman's shoulder. There was nothing there when he turned, and Superman looked at the Joker furiously.

"Let her go Joker," Superman called. "It's over."

"On the contrary," Joker laughed hard, "I'm just _starting _with the Justice League. Who knows where I'll go from there?!" He shoved Wonder Woman forward, and she cried out as she stumbled into Superman's arms, a knife protruding from her back where the Joker had been holding the lasso.

"Diana!" Superman cried, holding her in his arms. She tried to breathe but struggled; the knife had clearly punctured a lung.

"Superman!" Nightwing called as the door opened. Wonder girl flew past him to Wonder Woman's side.

"No," she breathed, looking down at her mentor. Robin and Red Robin sprinted into the room after her. Nightwing stepped into view, and the Joker suddenly beamed at him.

"I should have _known _you would be the one to send this all to hell," he laughed, shaking his head. Nightwing ignored him and looked at Superman.

"Are you ready?"

Superman stared down at Wonder Woman for a moment longer. He gently handed her to Wonder Girl, a look of determination on his face. "I'm ready."

Nightwing pressed his comm. "Ready?"

Several replies came back in agreement, and Nightwing nodded at Superman. "Now." Superman blinked, and his laser vision shot over the Joker's shoulder, slicing into the machine and severing the connection to the motherboard, right where Harley and Red Robin had said it would be. There was a brief pause, a moment where they all braced themselves for an explosion of toxic gas, but nothing came. A slow smile spread across the Joker's face, and he began clapping in the silence as he advanced toward them, stepping over Black Canary and Green Arrow's bodies.

"All by your lonesome, bird boy? I ought to call you bat boy, he trained you well." He laughed, his teeth clenched as he grinned, his eyes shining hatefully. Nightwing straightened his shoulders, his eyes narrowed.

"It wasn't my plan," he said calmly. The door opened behind him, and Harley stepped into the room.

"It was mine," she said, staring the Joker down. The smile dropped from his face, and he went even whiter than usual.

"H-Harley?" He blinked slowly and stumbled back, both hands tugging at his hair. "No, no, no… This isn't real, y-you're another hallucination-" Joker began laughing uncontrollably, looking up at her. "You're dead! I watched you die!" he laughed harder, wheezing a bit, as if he found the entire situation too hilarious.

"Twice actually," Harley corrected quietly, walking to Nightwing's side. "I guess I'm stubborn like that."

Joker laughed even harder at her words, his hands on his knees. Nightwing took a step back, pulling Harley away from the Joker in alarm as he guarded her a bit. Holding up one finger, the Joker gasped for breath, trying to calm his cackling. "You always were, weren't you," he hissed at Harley, looking up. His fitsts were clenched so tight that his fingernails bit into his palm, blood dripping from his fingers. He stood, spreading his arms and then holding them out in front of him. "Well!?" he barked, looking at Nightwing with barely contained fury. "I'm in a room full of 'crime fighters', aren't I? Who else must I kill to get arrested?"

Nightwing stepped forward, pulling handcuffs out of a pocket at his hip, and the Joker grinned darkly. Panic flared in Harley's chest, and she reached out to stop him, but it was already too late. The Joker's hand clamped down on Nightwing's; his entire body convulsed, his head snapping back as he screamed in pain and dropped to the floor, still twitching.

"_Nightwing!_" Batman roared. Superman swiftly smashed the camera, cutting off the live feed, as a batarang embedded itself in the Joker's wrist and he cried out, laughing; the joybuzzer in his hand still smoking a bit. Batman rushed at the Joker, pinning him down as Wonder Girl flew Wonder Woman quickly from the room and Harley dropped to the floor beside Nightwing.

"Dick?" she pleaded quietly. Nightwing didn't move for a moment, until he suddenly gasped, his eyes flying open as he sat up quickly into Harley's open arms. He breathed hard, looking around, still dazed. "Thank God," she whispered, holding him tightly to her. He winced, holding his hand up and looking at the hole burned in the palm of his glove from the joybuzzer. Closing his hand, Nightwing wrapped his arms around Harley.

"I'm alright," he said shakily, standing slowly. The Joker watched in shock as he got to his feet before throwing all of his weight against Batman in an attempt to escape. He dove at Harley and Nightwing, screaming furiously, and Batman caught him by the coat, dragging him back.

"You made me kill her!" he shrieked at Nightwing, struggling with every ounce of strength he had. Batman started to drag him from the room, and the Joker laughed, his face livid. "You took her from me! I'll take her from you, if it's the last thing I do!" he cackled, diving forward in one last feeble attempt to free himself before Batman slammed the door behind him. Harley flinched at the noise before clinging to Nightwing.

"It's over," she whispered in disbelief, resting her forehead on his shoulder. Nightwing nodded, staring at the closed doors in concern as he put an arm protectively around Harley's shoulders. Behind them, the Flash dropped to his knees beside Hal Jordan, dragging him into his arms and helping him to his feet. Martian Manhunter and Zatanna quietly removed Black Canary and Green Arrow.

"What about _her_?" Shazam asked, pulling Harley away from Nightwing. Nightwing's jaw clenched, and he grabbed Harley's hand.

"_No_."

"Isn't she one of them!?" Shazam demanded, glaring at Nightwing. He pulled Harley away again and Superman quickly put a hand on his chest, as Robin shot forward and grabbed Nightwing's arm. Red Robin stepped up, glancing between the two of them, and Superman looked seriously at Shazam.

"She's an ally, and unless you want more bloodshed- _release her_." Superman glanced at Nightwing, who didn't take his eyes off of Shazam until he released Harley's wrist. Nightwing pulled her in to his chest, as if daring anyone else to challenge Harley's allegiance.

"What exactly happened today?" Aquaman asked Superman, glancing around at the devastation.

"Thanks to some outside help, we stopped the Joker. But it came at a price," he said, thinking of Diana. Aquaman nodded.

"Aqualad commed in with everyone else to confirm that he destroyed his machine in Atlantis," Harley told Aquaman, stepping to Nightwing's side but not releasing his hand. Nightwing nodded.

"Good. Everyone else checked in on my end, too. Gotham's still standing."


	30. Relief

_**A brief moment of peace.**_

_**But at what cost? The Joker's attack was a blind lashing out with too much at his disposal. It was without motive, and without provocation; and he had his head in the game. Until she walked into the room. He was taken down easily, but Batman knows that something wasn't right. About any of it.**_

_**With the Joker safely back at Arkham, The Batman family has a brief time to relax. All is well at Wayne Manor, and with Bruce declaring a stay-in night; the family is together and safe with the Joker locked away.**_

"The world was shocked today with the events at the Hall of Justice…"

"Everyone quiet!" Jason cried, almost spilling his hot chocolate as he shushed everyone. "Here comes the good part."

"The Justice League was held hostage by the criminal known as the Joker," the news anchor was saying. A mugshot of the Joker appeared in the corner of the screen.

"Not very accurate anymore," Tim muttered.

"He planned to gas not only the League with his infamous Joker gas, but the whole world," the man read off of his prompter. "Luckily, every machine was stopped by some unlikely heroes including Catwoman, Arsenal, Kid Flash, the assassin Cheshire, Bumblebee, Poison Ivy, and even Scarecrow."

"Who disappeared as soon as he could," Selina muttered. Jason shushed her, staring at the screen in disbelief.

"They didn't mention me!"

"The situation at the League was handled by Superman, Nightwing, the Boy Wonder, Wonder Girl, Red Robin, and the once thought dead Harley Quinn." Harley smiled over the lip of her mug. The man on the tv turned grim. "However, before the Joker could be stopped, Black Canary and Green Arrow lost their lives. No updates by the League have been given as to the status of Wonder Woman and Green Lantern, now publically known as Hal Jordan. We do have confirmed witness reports that Nightwing is well and walking, and we hope for the best but thankfully the Joker was apprehended by Batman-"

"All of you were mentioned but me!" Jason cried in outrage. "That is so not fair!"

"Yes, it would appear even the _media _still thinks you're a criminal," Damian sneered. Dick rolled his eyes at them both, putting his empty cocoa mug down on the coffee table.

"Oh come on, Jason, do you really care that much?"

"Cheshire," Jason objected. "Cheshire was mentioned before me. This is Gotham news, and they mentioned her before me."

"But wouldn't being hailed as a hero just ruin the whole image you've created for yourself?" Harley asked with an amused smile. Jason didn't answer and snorted as she laughed at him. She felt Dick's arm tighten around her shoulders as he kissed her head. His fingers laced with hers and he played with the safety net ring tied around her finger.

"Today was by no means a complete success," Bruce said. "But it was a win." He turned to look at Harley. "Thank you," he told her quietly. Harley blushed, and Selina wrapped her arms around Bruce's bicep, leaning her head on his shoulder. Dick leaned close to Harley's ear.

"If you have something to write this down- Bruce doesn't say thank you very often," he smiled, and Jason snorted in agreement. Tim laughed, and even Damian lifted an eyebrow in amusement.

"I'll just be thankful he didn't cart me back to Arkham," she laughed.

"There's still plenty of time for that," Damian muttered, and Dick looked at him warningly. Damian rolled his eyes. "A _joke_, Richard, it was a _joke._"

"First time for everything, I guess," Tim said quietly, and Damian's eyes flashed angrily.

"Drake I swear-"

"-Come on, Damian," Dick said gently, calming them all down. "Let's not fight, okay? Not tonight. Kill Tim tomorrow."

"Harley coming back and the Joker trying to kill the world are quite enough excitement for a few days, I think," Bruce agreed, holding Selina's hand. Dick grinned at Harley, pulling her close as he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her belly gently with his thumb. She saw the look in his eye and frowned at him.

"No," she hissed at him, her eyes wide. _How is _that _a good cue?_ she thought. Dick shrugged as he sat back in the couch, leaning his head back on the cushion and closing his eyes. Alfred came into the room with fresh mugs of cocoa for everyone, and Tim laughed.

"This is my third one!" he cried, smiling. Jason fearlessly took another mug.

"Good," Alfred said to him, taking his empty mug.

"Hot chocolate is hardly nourishment," Damian informed him, his mug empty on the armrest.

"Then perhaps you would like something to eat, young Sir," Alfred replied, picking up his mug and replacing it with a full one. "Would anyone else like me to whip something up quick?" he asked. "Miss Harley have you eaten anything?"

"No, no she hasn't," Dick sat up a bit, looking at her worriedly. "Some dinner would be fantastic, Al," he said, smiling a little.

"Both of you stop it," she demanded, glaring at Dick. He ignored her irritation, biting his lip.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Yes, Miss, have any cravings for anything?" Alfred added, raising his eyebrows.

"Does anyone here care that I would love a grilled cheese?" Jason asked.

"No," Damian told him, sipping his drink.

"Grilled cheese is fine," Harley answered for herself. "Let's go with that. Dick will have one too," she added, raising an eyebrow at him. He nodded and smiled, relaxing back against the couch again.

"Anyone else?" Alfred asked.

"Two for me!" Tim called.

"No fair! I want two!" Jason whined.

"You can have two," Alfred sighed. "Master Damian?" Damian shrugged indifferently. "Master Bruce?"

"No thank you Alfred," Bruce waved, and Selina shook her head at his questioning glance. Alfred nodded contentedly at them and walked out. Barbara stood, wiping her hands on her jeans.

"Hey, Harley. Mind if I talk to you for a sec?" She nodded at the door, smiling a little.

"Um, sure," Harley agreed, unwinding Dick's arms from around her. He frowned a little, as if he didn't want to let her go, and then watched the two of them walk out to the hall. Barbara walked a ways down the hallway and then turned, lacing her fingers together. She sighed.

"I just don't want there to be… Sorry. Um… I'm sorry that I didn't trust you. You did good, and I don't want there to be any bad blood between us." Barbara smiled a little, her red hair sifting over her shoulder. She pushed it back.

"If I recall, I did kind of taze you," Harley winced. "So I have things to be sorry for too. A lot of things," she muttered, thinking of what the whole family went through when she hurt Dick. "So I'm sorry too, and I don't want any hard feelings."

"Good." Barbara smiled a little, and then grimaced. "He's an honest person, so no doubt you already know about… er…" she trailed off, thinking about the night that she and Dick had spent together. "I'm sorry and I just want you to know that there is _nothing _between us." She looked down awkwardly.

"At first when I found out about it, I was hurt and angry, but then… I was glad," Harley admitted. "Despite his stubbornness, I wanted Dick to find someone better than me. Dick deserves to be with someone like you, and let's face it, I'm not exactly someone you _want_ a person you care about to fall in love with." She played with the hem of her t-shirt. "And while I know I should be upset about it, I can't seem to feel anything but relief that he still loves me."

"That's crazy. And I mean, I know you're crazy, but that's actually _crazy_," Barbara laughed. "You shouldn't feel guilty about it. Hell, I'd be relieved too. Dick is…" she paused, as if she couldn't really describe him. "Incredible. He's selfless and caring and fearless- and you shouldn't feel _at_ _all_ sorry that he chose you. I don't know you very well, so I can't yet judge whether or not you're good for him, but I _do _know that he'll be good for you. Dick is the same way, with all of us. Bruce, Damian, _me_- he has this way of making you feel like a better person, just by being around him. And I can't really judge- but the way you two act around each other makes me feel like I can trust you. What you did to him in the past… you did it to protect him. To protect _this family._ We all forgive you for that, even Damian. The way you treat him and talk to him- it tells me that you would never hurt him again. So I guess… thanks?" Barbara laughed a little. "Needless to say, if you _do _hurt him, though-" she chuckled and punched Harley lightly on the arm- "Well, I won't hold Damian back. So… friends?" Barbara held out her hand, smiling hopefully.

Harley ignored the hand and pulled Barbara in for a hug. "Sorry. He's wearing off on me," she laughed. Barbara hugged her back, grinning.

"No problem," she giggled, pulling back. "Alfred should have the grilled cheese ready. We should head back. And if you ever need anything, just ask me or Selina. It's hard enough to navigate through this family, trust me. When it was just me and Bruce and Dick? Being around all the testosterone is hard enough, you don't have to do it alone." Barbara smiled, leading her back into the living room where everyone was sitting and chatting casually.

"I'll keep that in mind." Harley smiled, returning to her spot by Dick. She had to scoop Allie up in her arms before she crushed the cat. Allie mewed pitifully and went off in search of someone more accommodating. Alfred walked to them and held out two plates with steaming grilled cheese sandwiches on them. Dick took them gratefully and set them on the coffee table beside their mugs of cocoa.

"Hopefully Babs didn't scare you too much," Dick chuckled, glancing at Barbara as she sat down in a recliner across from them, tucking her legs under her as she smiled.

"Nah," Barbara scoffed. "Just girl talk. Seeing if our cycles have synced up. All that jazz." Dick laughed a little, his cheeks pinkening.

"Don't talk about stuff like that while I'm eating," Jason whined through a mouthful of sandwich. Harley rolled her eyes as she nibbled on the crust of hers.

"Thank you Alfred," she said, elbowing Dick in the side.

"Thanks," Dick agreed, smiling at Harley. Tim and Jason mumbled their thanks through their mouthfuls of food as Damian peeled off a piece of crust and fed it to Allie.

"So the criminals are being given the night off?" Harley asked. Bruce smiled wanly, sitting in a high wing-back chair with Selina sitting on the arm.

"I think a break for the night would be good for all of us," he said, with a pointed look at Jason.

"Hey, at this point, Alfred has got me too full to move," Jason objected.

"Good. I want you all at home tonight. No one is leaving the house." Bruce said calmly, folding his hands in his lap. Alfred tried to hide his look of jubilation.

"I think Tim's already sleeping," Barbara commented. Tim blinked at her.

"Nuh uh," he stuck his tongue out, hiding a yawn.

"I think we could all hit the hay a bit early tonight," Dick added, glancing at Tim with a smile.

"No, I'm fine." Tim waved away his worry. "I could stay up for hours." He rolled onto his back and set his plate on his stomach.

"Well _I _think I'll be off to bed soon," Dick shrugged, and looked around the room. Damian had already slipped out to go to his room, and Bruce looked as exhausted as Tim.

"Master Richard is right," Alfred agreed. He knocked Jason's elbow out from under him, and his face fell into his half eaten sandwich. "All of you off to bed."

Jason jerked awake, a bit of cheese clinging to the scruffle on his chin. Tim slid off of the couch and shuffled out of the living room, followed by Jason and Barbara. Alfred glared at Bruce, and he finally stood with a small smile and took Selina's hand.

"Good night Alfred," he said quietly, leading Selina from the room. Dick helped Harley up from the couch.

"Good night, Master Richard. Miss Harley," Alfred smiled, regarding them with a small bow.

"Night!" Harley called as they left the room. Dick held her hand as they walked quietly up the grand staircase and turned down a hallway, walking all the way to the end before reaching Dick's room. He kissed Harley's head and then smiled.

"I'll be right back," he said as he let go of her hand and walked back down the hall to Bruce and Selina's room. Dick knocked gently. "Good night."

After a few seconds of silence, Selina called out "Good night!"

Smiling, Dick moved on to Jason's room, opening the door. "Jay, actually try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Shut up," Jason barked, hiding his burning cigarette behind his back. Dick narrowed his eyes, but he said nothing as he closed the door quietly and then knocked before opening Damian's.

"Night, Damian," he said cheerily.

"Go to bed Richard," Damian snapped, flipping his sketchbook closed. Dick smiled and turned down the hallway, stopping finally at Tim's door. He knocked and peeked in; Tim was already snoring into his pillow still fully clothed. Dick quietly went into his bedroom, pulling the blankets up over Tim's shoulders.

"Good night, Tim," he whispered, and then turned and closed the door as quietly as possible behind him. Walking past Barbara's guest room door, he knocked and called a hushed "night, Babs," through the door. Dick went into his room and closed the door gently. The only light came from the lamp on the bedside table, casting a warm and sleepy glow over the room. Harley was sitting on the floor by the window looking up at the stars with her knees tucked into her chest. She glanced over at him when he entered.

"There are a lot more stars out here than in the city," she commented, turning back to the window. Dick smiled a bit, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"There are, aren't there?" Sitting down on the hardwood floor beside her, Dick rested an elbow on his knee and looked out the window.

"Everyone go to bed?" Harley whispered in the quiet. She turned to smile at him. He nodded, biting his lip as he turned away from the window. He sat cross legged beside her and smiled a little.

"Yeah, everyone's safely tucked in. For once. It's nice."

"Well, everyone but us," she amended, reaching for his hand. Dick took it, looking down at her slender fingers laced with his.

"We should get some sleep. _You _especially," he said quietly, stroking her hand with his thumb.

"You know, if you keep worrying at this rate, I don't think you'll make it until the baby's born." She kissed him on the nose. Dick smiled, biting his lip.

"I'm actually trying to control it. So what you're getting here is the toned-down version of my worrying about you," he laughed, squeezing her hand.

"You don't have to tone it down for me," she scolded. "I'm just saying, what are you going to do when the baby is _actually_ born?" She chuckled. "You have to reach your worry limit sometime."

"I won't stop worrying about you or the baby, never completely. I still worry about Bruce. And about silly things, like 'did he fill up the Batmobile tonight' because one time he _did _forget, and it was a disaster… I still worry about things like that. It's been years since I was the Boy Wonder, but I still feel responsible for Bruce." Dick laughed quietly, shaking his head. "And you. You should sleep." He scooped her up, his arm hooking under her knees as he lifted her effortlessly off of the ground and carried her to the bed. As he pulled the blanket up around her, Dick kissed Harley's head. She laughed as she pulled him down beside her.

"I'm not telling you to not worry because I know you will. And that is kind of cute." She chuckled softly as she curled up beside him. "I'm just saying maybe prioritize before you drive yourself crazy. You can skip over little things like grilled cheese sandwiches and maybe worry about things like-" She cut herself off, shaking her head. "Nope. Sorry, not giving you any ideas," she laughed.

"Wait, like _what_? What should I be worrying about?" Dick ran a hand through his hair, looking at her in a panic.

"See no," she jabbed her finger at him, "_that_ is why I'm not giving you any ideas. Everything is going to be fine."

"Everything," Dick agreed. He kissed her cheek. "I love you. Now get some sleep." As he slid under the covers, he wrapped an arm over her shoulder. He liked to sleep with the covers up to his chin, and she relaxed into his chest, suddenly realizing just how tired she actually was.

"Don't tell me what to do," she mumbled, burying her face in the pillow. "I love you too."

Dick smoothed her hair away from her face and closed his eyes. He was relieved, and he felt like he could finally sleep; the Joker was in custody, and he and his family were safe.


	31. Here Is Where She'll Stay

_**A calm summer morning. **_

_**It's a new day at Wayne Manor. Calm and quiet, for the most part. Dick's nervousness about Harley's pregnancy doesn't go unnoticed. How could it, in a family full of well trained detectives?**_

_**When a real detective shows up, however, things get a bit tense. Commissioner Gordon stops by to pay a visit to Dick, who is still supposed to be bedridden from his kidnapping by the Joker. **_

"That's not fair!"

Harley awoke the next morning to shouting coming from outside. The bed was empty and in her groggy daze she could just make out the light streaming through the crack in the curtains, blowing from the open window.

"Grayson, you can't just _decide _that I'm It-"

"-_I'm _the oldest. What I say goes."

Harley reached for her glasses on the bedside table, trying to control her nausea. Her morning sickness seemed to be getting worse instead of better.

"Well _that's _ridiculous. Barbara is clearly your superior."

"What!?"

"I am…"

"Babs!"

Slipping out of bed and shuffling to the window, Harley cringed away from the light as she stuck her head out through the old-fashioned screenless French windows.

"Oh my God, you still call her 'Babs'?"

"Shut _up _Steph-"

Dick was shouting at the others as they all argued. Tim hung from the branch of a tree, Damian glared with his arms crossed, and Jason stood a few feet away, tapping the ash from his cigarette as he watched the scene with some amusement. Barbara and Stephanie seemed to be Dick's main opposition to whatever he was trying to do; they were both yelling back at him. Cassandra leaned on the tree that Tim dangled from, adding to the argument every now and again. Harley pulled her head into the window and looked at the clock. _6:47. Not even seven o'clock yet. _She leaned back out.

"What the _hell _are you all screaming about at seven a.m.!?" she cried. Dick's bedroom was on the third floor, and they all turned to look at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry, Harley, did we wake you?" Dick asked, shielding his eyes to look up at her as the rest of them fell silent. Stephanie snorted.

"No, she got up this early of her own accord, _dick_."

"Hey!" Dick protested, lunging at her.

"Antitoxin!" Harley called the reminder down to him before disappearing back into the bedroom.

"Master Richard, try not to maim the guests," Alfred scolded.

"They aren't _guests_, they are plagues upon this household. Drake as well," Damian said sharply as he walked past Alfred towards the house.

"Damian, I think you need some new comebacks," Jason commented, flicking away his cigarette butt. "Your's are getting a little stale."

"You know," Steph squinted at Damian's retreating figure, "if you look just right, I think you can see his horns."

"Or his _halo_," Dick pushed Steph playfully and then shouted after Damian. "I love you, kid!" Damian flipped him off over his shoulder as he disappeared through the door. Dick looked at Stephanie. "Okay, but seriously, I love that kid."

"Hey I said 'I think' alright?" Steph surrendered. "No need to get so defensive over the little demon."

Bruce came out of the house just as Dick retorted "little _angel_!" Steph laughed and Tim dropped from his tree branch, walking over to stand beside them.

"Who's an angel?" Bruce asked hesitantly, looking between them.

"Damian," Dick crossed his arms. Bruce snorted and walked toward the pool. Dick's arms dropped to his sides, and he gasped dramatically. "My God, the Dark Knight laughed. Did you hear that? Or was that a cough?"

"Cough," Jason shrugged. Cass glanced at him.

"Cough," she agreed.

"Damn, we were so close," Dick snapped his fingers ruefully as Damian strolled out of the house in his bathing suit with Selina walking timidly behind him. Bruce dropped down into a chair and watched them walk towards the water. Sitting down in the grass, Dick looked up at Jason and Barbara. "Well what now? I mean, the Joker is in custody, it's daylight and we were told to relax, but I don't _want _to. I want to _do _something."

"Richard John Grayson Wayne." Dick turned to see Harley standing behind him. "I don't care what you want to do; you _are_ going to relax."

"Aw, come on, Harley," he complained, running a hand through his hair. "I'm bored!"

"What none of the other kids will play with you?" she teased, sinking down beside him.

"Don't mock my pain," he mumbled, smiling in spite of himself. Dick put an arm around her shoulders. "How did you sleep?"

"Just fine." Harley rolled her eyes. "You mean you couldn't tell through all your snoring?" She elbowed him playfully in the side.

"Get used to it," he winked, and then lowered his voice. "And the nausea, any better today?"

"It's fine," she muttered. "I'm fine. It's _all_ fine." Harley shoved him into the grass. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down with him, smiling as he shielded his eyes from the sun to look at her.

"Good," was Dick's only reply. He stared at her, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"What?" she finally asked. Dick bit his lip and grinned.

"Nothing. You're just insanely beautiful, can't I admire that?" he asked, and she blushed. Jason groaned loudly.

"I'm gonna puke," he mumbled. Dick ignored him, still smiling at Harley. She was about to say something when Tim threw a soccer ball at the back of Dick's head. He looked so startled when it hit, she burst into laughter.

"And no you can't," Tim told Dick. "Not while the rest of us don't get to have our girlfriends here."

"Your loss," Dick retorted, rubbing the back of his head.

"I think there's something to be said for the fact that, for now, I have no where else to go," Harley chuckled, grabbing Dick's hand. "Notorious criminal and all."

"Hell yeah!" Jason called. Harley laughed before glancing past him. She choked off in a panicked squeal before turning to face the other way and burying her cheek in Dick's shoulder.

"Oh God," Barbara gasped, tripping over her legs slightly in her hurry to walk toward the patio. Commissioner Gordon was talking to Alfred on the patio steps.

"Well, shit. Shit, son of a…" Dick trailed off as he made an attempt to hide Harley half behind his shoulder, exaggerating a limp. "I'm supposed to be bedridden and _you're _supposed to be in prison- I'll be damned if I let them take you away from me again-" he hissed quietly, hurrying towards the mansion, where they could hide around the corner and hopefully make it to the front door without being seen.

"Hey Jimmy!" Jason called slightly out of breath, the ball tucked under his arm. He and Tim had run the opposite way as Dick and Harley and smiled innocently up at Gordon. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to say hello," Gordon replied with a smile, his back to Dick and Harley. "What are you two doing? Trying to distract me from them?" He pointed over his shoulder at the two of them trying to sneak by.

"Um," Tim laughed nervously. Dick froze when Gordon pointed at them. "It was worth a try?"

"You look well Grayson," Gordon commented, turning to face them. Barbara glanced between them nervously.

"I look better than I feel," he lied smoothly, his arm tightening around Harley's waist.

"And Dr. Quinzel, I see you're not dead. Although, from the news I had gathered as much."

"Um… yeah… I," Harley stuttered.

"I guessed you'd be here," the Commissioner sighed. Dick's eyes narrowed.

"And here is where she'll _stay_, Sir," he snapped.

"I just came to check on one of my favorite officers," Gordon said. "He was badly wounded, small chance of full recovery, and bed ridden. See his once dead, villainous girlfriend was on tv cohorting with a perfectly fit Nightwing, and I was curious how all of this was going over with him." He raised an eyebrow at Dick. "And I must say he is looking almost fighting fit, except for some strange limp."

Dick bit his lip, his cheeks turning pink as he frantically searched for an excuse. "Well, I um…"

"Of course, you won't be well enough to come back to the station for quite some time. At least that's what everyone will think," Gordon smiled.

"Sure," Dick mumbled weakly with a flimsy smile. "I mean… of course, Sir. Whatever you say."

"Don't you think you guys are getting _enough_ criminals around here?" Gordon laughed, clapping Dick on the shoulder. Barbara watched her father curiously.

"We have to fill this God-awful mistake of architecture with something, now don't we?" Jason smiled curtly before walking towards the pool, where Damian was trying to coax Selina out of the three-foot water. Tim laughed nervously.

"Um, Commissioner sir… what exactly are you doing here?" he asked, and then quickly added. "I don't mean to be rude, of course, but was it _only_ to see Dick?"

There was an audible _smack _as Dick's palm connected with his forehead. Tim shrugged and glanced at him guiltily. Jason returned to them after laughing at Selina splashing around in the water.

"Please _God _tell me that something interesting is happening," he sighed loudly, and Stephanie elbowed him.

"Sorry, probably not your type of interesting, but I thought Dick might want to know that the Collins family will be returning tomorrow since the Joker is in custody."

"Good." Dick smiled in relief and unconsciously laced his fingers with Harley's.

"I thought we'd never see the end of that," Gordon groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well I suppose it isn't over yet. He's been extradited and should get to Bloodgate this afternoon. I'll have to deal with _that_."

"Dad," Barbara objected. "Don't overwork yourself."

"So I was thinking," Jason said, suddenly from the middle of the group. "And I got Tim on my side." Tim smiled nervously. "That Harley has yet to be initiated into the family." He grinned widely. "So we thought she should cool off."

Jason and Tim both scooped Harley up off the ground, ignoring her surprised squeal as they carried her between them to the pool.

"Guys, thats not funny-" Dick sprinted after them, the color draining from his cheeks as he grabbed Jason's arm. "Seriously, put her _down_-"

"-What you can mess with us, but as soon as we try and initiate your girlfriend? Nuh uh, no double standards."

"Put her down, Jason! Tim!" Dick snapped, stepping in front of them and grabbing Harley's hands.

"Alright, alright," Jason whined as they set Harley on her feet. "You're no fun anymore."

"Good." Dick looked Harley over, ignoring Jason's comment. "You're lucky I didn't punch you in the nose."

"Thanks but I think you already did that."

"Lucky I didn't do it _again_, then," Dick glanced at him, narrowing his eyes. "Just leave her alone, alright? She's done more than enough to prove that she's part of the family." Jason and Tim backed off.

"Yes," Gordon whispered to Barbara, still on the steps. "I can see it would be a mistake to try and arrest her."

"Dick," Harley sighed, "it's only water, okay?" She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He bit his lip and looked down, nodding in agreement.

"I know. Sorry, I guess I'm just… nervous." His voice was quiet.

"Yeah. Just don't freak out when I try to take a shower."

"I won't," he laughed a little, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why would he freak out?" Damian was practically standing between them in an instant, drying his hair with a towel. He looked up at them both impassively.

"Because Dick worries about everything," Harley muttered. Damian narrowed his eyes, but he said nothing and then walked away to sit in one of the lounge chairs.

"I do not worry about everything," Dick mumbled.

"Oh really? What if I wanted to go swimming?"

"You can go swimming!" he protested quickly. "Just not if they're hurling you in!"

"Jumping. Hurling. Kinda the same."

"Not when it's Jason."

"You forget that I'm stronger than Jason now," she reminded him.

"Fine," Dick nodded. "I know, I know, you've made your point." He smiled, glancing at the others. "It doesn't change the fact that I don't trust _them_."

"They're your family. It's not like they'll come charging, swords drawn. Although, somewhat debatable."

"Debatable," Dick agreed. "If you mean Tim, definitely not. If you mean Damian- swords and all."

"So stay away from Robin Jr. for a while, then." Harley grinned, looping her arm through his.

Dick nodded distractedly, looking at Commissioner Gordon, who was walking across the lawn toward them. "When is the Joker's plea hearing, Commissioner?"

"The hearing's on Tuesday, and depending on how the Joker pleas, the trial will be as soon after as we can," Gordon smiled. Dick glanced at Harley.

"He's going to want to go to trial," Dick muttered. "Well I'm glad we caught him. Even if he does bust out again, God forbid, at least he's off the streets for a little while."

"He won't be going back to Arkham will he?" Harley asked worriedly. "He finds it _fun_ to break out of there."

"It doesn't matter," Gordon sighed. "When he's found guilty, it'll be by means of insanity. By law we have to give him proper treatment, and unfortunately, Arkham is, or _was_, the state of the art facility, despite it's flaws. Once it's fully back into commission again, we'll have no choice."

"Something will have to be done differently. We'll have to make sure he stays put this time," Dick said determinedly, wrapping an arm around Harley's waist, his thumb hooking in her belt loop protectively.

"There have been extra precautions taken in the rebuilding of the destroyed section. Once he's in, he won't be able to get out," Gordon assured him.

"Good. We'll never have to see him again," Dick sighed.

"I have no problem with that," Harley agreed.


	32. One Night

_**Something is different.**_

_**It's rare for Bruce to allow a night off, and even rarer for him to take a break from Batman for longer than twenty-four hours. But two nights in a row? Something has changed in the household. Something has Bruce re-evaluating his priorities. **_

_**The second night after the incident with the Justice League, the boys are left at home alone. Bruce is treating Selina to a night out, something even more rare than a night spent not fighting crime. Something has definitely changed.**_

"Shush!" Jason hissed, clamping his hand over Tim's mouth. "He'll hear us."

Tim proceeded to slobber all over Jason's hand as Dick crouched in the shadow of the staircase. "Quiet, both of you," he snapped, but he smiled a bit.

"They're coming," Damian whispered as he slid down the railing to them. He crouched beside Dick. The living room door opened, and Cassandra and Stephanie started walking out. Jason furiously waved them back.

"...for one night," Selina was saying. She and Bruce were walking down the hall to the stairs. "The Joker's in custody; it'll be fine."

"Yeah, it'll be fine, Bruce, leave us alone in the house for a while," Dick grinned deviously, his voice just soft enough for Jason to hear him. The two exchanged glances and then looked back up the stairs, where Selina and Bruce had emerged on the landing.

"I know, I know. I'm just… worried is all," Bruce sighed, pulling at the neck of his black turtleneck. Selina draped her deep violet wrap over his neck, pulling his face close to hers as she smiled.

"You worry too much, Batman," she breathed, and then kissed his cheek. "Try to focus on me. Forget about everything else for a few hours." Selina wrapped the shawl around her shoulders and took his hand, guiding him down the stairs; she hadn't been out on the town in a while, and she was itching to get out of the house.

"Do those two wear anything but black?" Jason whispered, rolling his eyes as he clucked his tongue. Tim elbowed him in the gut.

"It would be so much easier to forget about everything if I couldn't hear them whispering down there," Bruce groaned.

"Bruce," Selina dropped her voice as she stopped on the stairs, turning to face him. Her pale green eyes were stern, and she took his face in her hands. "They're _boys._ Even Dick is only twenty-four, you've got to cut them some slack. Let them behave like children for tonight." Smiling gently, Selina nodded. "Okay?"

"Okay," he smiled down at her. Seeing a smile on his face made her heart soar. They heard a camera phone click behind them.

"I bought it; I _will_ break it," Bruce warned. Dick peeked out from between the bars in the railing and stared straight-faced at Bruce, as he raised the phone again and took another picture.

"Dick!" Bruce growled, making a grab for the phone. Dick dove out of the way, fast as ever, holding the phone away from Bruce. He continued to stare at him with a blank expression, but a hint of a smile pulled up the corner of his lips. Selina grabbed Bruce's arm.

"Bruce, let's _go_," she insisted, smiling as she pulled him toward the door. He could hear the boys laughing behind him.

"I bet they won't find it so funny if they're phone services are discontinued," Bruce muttered. He opened the front door and held if for Selina. She shook her head, smiling wanly as Alfred stepped to the side of the Rolls Royce and opened the door for them both.

"You know you wouldn't do that," she commented as she got into the car.

"You're right. Alfred would never let me," Bruce smirked.

"I think you're forgetting that _you _would have a panic attack if you couldn't reach one of them," Selina pointed out as Alfred closed the door, and she slid closer to Bruce.

"But I could focus more on you," Bruce reminded her with a chuckle.

"Of course. I'm the only thing that's kept you out of Arkham recently, without me, you'd be as crazy as any one of the inmates," she waved a hand dismissively, smirking at him.

"Oh," Bruce scoffed, pulling her close. "You'd be in there with me."

"Only to keep you company," she purred, leaning into his side under his arm draped over her shoulders. It was quiet for a time as Alfred drove them into Gotham, and then Selina spoke again. "You're wearing my favorite cologne. It's been a while since you've worn cologne," she smiled, inhaling the crisp scent. "Where are we going?"

"Aquerello," he shrugged.

"Sounds high-class. Then again, it is only _the best _for Mr. One-Percenter-Wayne, now isn't it?" she elbowed him playfully, resting her head on his shoulder. "Is it terribly expensive?"

"No more than this." He held out a black, velvet jewelry box.

"Bruce!" Selina cried, sitting up and taking the box. Her slender fingers traced over the velvet like it was the softest thing she'd ever touched. Opening it, she smiled at the two earrings nestled in the cushion. They were large, clear, oval cut diamonds surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds. "Oh Bruce they're incredible," she breathed, her eyes shining. To Bruce's surprise, she wiped a tear away from her cheek. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Why are you crying?" he demanded in shock. Selina laughed and touched his cheek.

"No, sweetheart, it's okay I'm not upset," she smiled warmly, tracing a thumb over his cheekbone. "It's just- you don't know what a _relief_ it is to be in a relationship with someone who knows who I was in the past- who knows that I could never _have _things like this, and… and you give me these beautiful things on such a regular basis, Bruce, it means so much to me," she laughed, wiping another tear away from her cheek. "They're wonderful. _You're_ wonderful, and I love you. Thank you." Selina smiled, putting the earrings on.

"I want you to feel like you have as much as I have when I look at you," Bruce whispered. Selina smiled at him lovingly, the jewelry sparkling on her ears as streetlamps flashed by outside the windows.

"You and the boys are my family now. What more could I ask of you, Bruce?" she said gently, taking his face in her hands and kissing him slowly. Her lips parted from his, still lingering close, and she smiled again. "_You_ are everything I ever needed."

"But I want to give you everything you ever wanted as well," he said, stroking her cheek.

"God knows you can afford it," she laughed. "And there's no sense arguing with you, you're incredibly stubborn, you know that?" Her voice softened. "Thank you for everything that you do for me, Bruce."

"And thank you for always being there. It's always enough," he told her.

"I'm glad," she laughed softly. "We don't need the Dark Knight breaking down, now do we? I'll always be there, Bruce. I always was, and I always will be." Selina kissed the corner of his lips softly as Alfred pulled to a stop outside of their restaurant. When they entered, the were seated almost immediately at a reserved table for two in front of large bay windows overlooking the city of Gotham. Selina dragged her chair around the table to sit beside Bruce instead of across from him.

"Mr. Wayne, a pleasure to have you here tonight," their short, thinly built waiter bowed a bit. "My name is Tucker, and it's my honor to serve you, Sir. Can I start you off with something to drink? We have a large selection of dated and exotic wines." He handed them their menus with a smile.

Bruce handed it back with a smile. "We'll take the best the house has to offer."

"Of course, Sir," Tucker nodded, and then walked away. Selina smiled at Bruce.

"You do know how to spoil a girl, don't you?" she laughed quietly. Soft piano music wafted through the romantically lit restaurant.

"It's not all for you," Bruce said over his menu. "It's been too long since I last had a drink."

"I'm a little offended that you'd assume that I'd drink it all," she smiled at him over his menu, crossing her arms on the table. "Not that it hasn't happened _before_," Selina added.

"Those times were some of my favorite." He chuckled softly as the waiter returned.

"Our finest Cabernet Sauvignon," Tucker said, as he filled their glasses.

"Leave the bottle," Bruce instructed, not glancing up from his menu. Selina smiled as Tucker set it softly on the white cloth covered table, and folded his hands.

"Yes, Sir. Are you ready to order?"

"We'll both have the lobster." Bruce proffered his menu.

"A fine choice, Mr. Wayne," Tucker bowed again and walked away. Selina watched Bruce, smirking a bit.

"A Wayne in it's natural habitat," she laughed, sipping her wine.

"It suits you too," he smirked.

"Well we both know that I was just _born _for high society. All those years of stealing and I never knew that all I had to do was find you," she smiled, tracing a finger over the back of his hand.

"Then we both would have been a lot happier if you found me earlier."

"We still found each other, either way." Selina took his hand.

"And we'll never lose each other," he said firmly. She cocked her head a bit, light eyes scrutinizing him from under dark lashes.

"You sound so sure about it. I think I'm more worried about you than you are about me. What with your jumping off of buildings and the like…" she looked down. "But it's all for good reason." Bruce reached over and cupped her chin.

"I will always come home to you," he said gently. Selina sighed deeply, shaking away the worry.

"I know you will, Bruce. I have to say, it's been nice to have you beside me the last couple of nights."

"You still have me tonight," he said, stroking her cheek. Smiling, Selina leaned into his hand.

"I'm glad we did this. Still worried?" she asked.

"Worried about what?" he asked with a grin.

"Good. The boys don't do anything but lounge around during the day, they'll be fine," Selina smiled back, playing with Bruce's fingers.

"You're right. Of course you're right."

"I'm not _always_ right, you know. You're a pretty smart guy yourself," Selina smirked. "But smart or not, you still needed a woman in that house. Poor Alfred had to raise you and then those four dysfunctional boys… Someone has to help him keep you all in line."

"Hey, Alfred's done pretty well," Bruce smiled.

"He really has. And you did well, too, with what you had," Selina elbowed him. "Children aren't easy, and every one of them turned out wonderful. Even Jason, in his own way."

"Here you are Mr. Wayne," Tucker said, sliding their plates onto the table. "Is there anything else you need?" Bruce waved him away.

Selina covered her mouth to hide a giggle, and then began eating, finishing her glass of wine. "How have you been, then? How is everything at work?" She smiled, her eyes shining.

"Business is booming." He smiled. "Or so I've been told."

Selina actually laughed out loud, a merry sound. "How long has it been since you even set foot in your company building?"

"If I try hard enough, I think I can remember how to find it," Bruce joked, and Selina laughed again.

"This lobster is delicious," she commented as Bruce poured her another glass of wine.

"I'm glad you like it," he said, refilling his own glass. "I'm sorry we haven't done this more often."

"No don't apologize, Bruce. I know you're a busy man. Honestly I'd sometimes rather you sleep than spend time with me, you get so little." Selina dabbed at her lips gently with her napkin, and then replaced it on her lap.

"Sorry Darling, but if it's you or sleep, you win hands down every time."

"You flatter me, Mr. Wayne," she giggled.

"That's the goal, Miss Kyle."

Selina blushed, smiling wanly. "So do we get dessert? Or should we skip and head back to your place?" She winked.

"I think you mean _our_ place. It's your home too."

Selina stared at him for a moment, her hands folded on the table. She finally smiled and looked away, out at the skyscrapers that made up Gotham's downtown. Her cheeks had pinkened. "Oh Bruce, you don't know what it means to me to hear you say that." She returned her gaze to him, the diamond necklace and earrings glittering in the low light. "I know that things have been tense lately, that Dick and the League have been stressing you out, and it means so much that you still find time for me."

"Here is your check, Mr. Wayne. Thank you for dining here, Sir, and feel free to take the bottle. You paid for it." Tucker returned to the table, placing the small leather folder on the tablecloth.

"It's empty, but thank you," Selina replied, stroking Bruce's hand gently with her thumb. He grabbed her hand and kissed it before letting her go and quickly filling out a check. He tore it out, slid it into the folder, and stood up. Walking to her chair, he pulled it out for her and draped her shawl over her shoulders.

They walked together, one of Selina's hands on Bruce's shoulders and the other clutching his arm, through the the busy tables. A hostess opened the door for them, and they stepped out into the brisk air. Alfred pulled the car up by the steps and got out.

"I hope you had a pleasant evening," he said as he walking over to open the door for them.

"It was wonderful, Alfred." Selina smoothed the lapel of Bruce's jacket, kissing his cheek.

"We had a good time," Bruce agreed, grinning as he helped her into the car. Alfred walked around to the driver's seat and began their trip home.

"How was your evening, Alfred?" Selina asked politely, a hand gently resting on Bruce's leg.

"Quite uneventful, Miss Kyle. I did some grocery shopping and some other errands, in fact; the groceries are still in the trunk. I didn't have much time to return home before you contacted me."

"Don't overwork yourself Alfred," Bruce said. "This is everyone's time off."

"On the contrary, Master Bruce, with five _children _at home constantly now, my workload has increased," Alfred quipped. "Though I do admit that it is nice to hear you all _wandering around _late at night, and shouting, and breaking things. It is much nicer to clean up old pizza boxes and broken vases rather than blood."

"They can't make that big of a mess that fast can they?" Bruce winced.

"Oh believe me, Sir, your boys are just like their father." He glanced at Bruce in the rearview mirror. "Always leaving things out, and they _never _clean up after themselves- it's a wonder it takes them any time at all to make a mess- oh. Oh dear," Alfred said suddenly as they started down the gravel driveway toward the house.

"How long did we leave them alone?" Selina asked, forcing herself not to smile.

"Apparently they can't be left alone," Bruce growled.

Selina put a calming hand on his chest. "Now Sweetheart, we don't even know if they _did _anything yet! It's all right, I'm sure Harley kept them in line." Bruce stepped out of the back of the car to see a wrecked motorcycle in the driveway.

"That was bound to be Dick," Bruce hissed. "He's wrecked more vehicles than a teenage girl this month."

"Bruce!" Selina caught up to him on the front stairs, catching his hand on the door. "Breathe for a second. Try not to tear their heads off, I've gotten kind of attached to them," she smiled nervously, her eyes serious.

"I won't kill. Just seriously injure."

"Bruce!" Selina cried in exasperation, and then jumped as the door opened. The color drained from Dick's face.

"Okay I know it _looks _bad."

"And I'm sure it sounds worse," Bruce snapped.

"Before you say anything else I just want you to know that I was _totally_ against it but then Tim and Damian started fighting and Jason proposed a motorcycle race and I wasn't about to get in the middle of that for personal reasons so they went into the garage stole some of your motorcycles went out on the gravel and they had a race but _then_ they started dicking around like idiots and Damian sort of… hit a tree." Dick bit his lip, his shoulders scrunching up toward his ears. "But he's totally okay…" he added weakly, with a nervous laugh.

"Damian is ten! You've seen how he drives! How in the world did you think that was a good idea!" Bruce roared.

"I didn't!" Dick cried, getting defensive about being yelled at. "I said that I tried to stop them all but Jason was all like 'Dick you've gotta be more daring and adventurous more like me' and Tim had already had a couple beers and he was like 'Yeah!' and they all turned against me and I _tried _really hard Bruce I did!" Dick's eyes suddenly widened and he clamped his mouth shut, like he'd let something slip.

"A couple of beers? There was alcohol involved?!" Bruce demanded.

"Oh come on like you never drank underage-" he flinched away from Bruce- "alright, alright! Yes! Jason and Tim were drinking, and I had one, but surprisingly the only one that crashed was the soberest one! It's really not that big of a deal, Bruce, no one got hurt…" Dick rubbed the back of his neck.

Bruce exhaled deeply through his mouth as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "There are no words for this."

Dick's eyebrows knit and he bit his lip again, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I know. I'm sorry, Bruce. Damian, Tim, Jason, and Harles are all asleep; I just sat up to wait so you'd have someone to rail on I guess." He opened the door wider to let them in.

"Don't worry, they'll hear from me in the morning," Bruce muttered.

"Look, I really did try, Bruce," Dick looked down. "Jason just gets the better of me sometimes!"

"I believe you," Bruce sighed. "It would have just been nice if, for once, something hadn't gone wrong."


	33. Happy Father's Day

_**It couldn't stay a secret forever.**_

_**After the night before, Bruce's free night off with Selina and the boys' antics at the Manor, it seems to be feeling more like home. A father and a mother, brothers, sisters, girlfriends; family. And it seems to be staying that way.**_

_**The morning brings an unexpected reminder: Father's Day. For Alfred, for Bruce, and now for Dick, as well. Harley is happy to celebrate it quietly with him, but Dick didn't quite catch on. No family is complete without a little drama. **_

Harley poked Dick sharply in the side.

"Ow," he mumbled, rolling over.

"Wake up sleepyhead," she laughed. Dick glanced at the alarm clock.

"It's only eight thirty!" he whined. "That isn't even sleeping in."

"I have no pity for people who are allowed to drink and have coffee. Besides, you're forgetting it's a holiday." She beamed at him.

"Is it national don't-let-Dick-sleep Day?" he rolled over and buried his face in the pillow.

"Nope." Harley pushed him over. "It's your first, well semi-first, Father's Day."

Dick lifted his head out of his pillow and smiled. "Is it really?" he sat up groggily and leaned against the headboard.

"Yup. Happy Father's Day." Harley grabbed a wrapped present from the floor. "I don't know if you'll want it, but I thought you would want to better understand what's going on," she said nervously as she handed it to him.

Dick took it, flashing that stupid grin that she fell in love with, before he tore the paper away. It was _Pregnancy for Dummies_.

"Alfred got it," Harley admitted. "But he also got this one." She handed him a red book from the end table that read _Week One to the End: What to Expect_.

"Harley, this is great. Thank you." He smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her head.

"Just don't become more educated on the subject than me. That'd be weird," she joked, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"I doubt I could be more educated than you," Dick laughed, rubbing her arm gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Good and I haven't even puked today."

"That's a win in my book." Dick smiled again, his eyes fixed on her. "I suppose we should go face everyone else."

"So you can go face your father."

"Right," Dick ran a hand through his bedhead nervously. "I'll be back, Harles, I've got to…" He stood, hastily pulling on a pair of jeans and his jacket. "I forgot to get Bruce a present. And knowing my _brothers,_ they did too. I'll be back in a flash." He kissed her head and left quickly.

Harley shook her head, walking out to the hall.

"Where has Richard gone?" Damian asked from behind her.

"Oh." Harley spun around. "I don't know." He walked past her. There was a pounding a few doors down; Tim was banging his fist against Jason's door.

"What are you doing?" Harley asked.

"Trying to get this shithead up," Tim grumbled.

"Why?" She stopped beside him.

"Because I am not facing Bruce alone about that motorcyle thing." Harley laughed.

"Here." She knocked gently on the door. "Jason? Ivy's here to see you." They could hear the the thud as he fell out of bed. "Come on," Harley laughed, looping her arm through Tim's. "Let's go see if there's any breakfast." They walked down to the foyer.

"Hey!" Barbara was coming in the front door.

"What are you doing here?" Harley asked. "Shouldn't you be with the Commissioner?"

Barbara waved it off. "The Joker's arriving this morning. I'll stop by the station when he isn't as busy."

"Okay," Tim chirped. "Hungry?" Jason came stumbling down the stairs fully dressed with his jacket on and hair combed.

"Good morning," Harley said, "you look nice. Seeing somebody special?" Jason opened his mouth then his eyes narrowed.

"You…" Harley laughed and headed to the kitchen. Tim and Jason started bickering about the motorcycle, and Barbara walked beside her.

"Where was Dick going? I saw him leaving on the road coming up here."

"Really? I don't know what he's up to," Harley admitted. They walked into the kitchen and Damian was reading his tablet at the counter while Bruce and Selina leaned against the counter talking as Alfred cooked bacon.

"Everyone's up," Bruce observed as the group walked in.

"I wouldn't be if not for these assholes," Jason whined, dropping into a chair.

"Language, Master Todd," Alfred warned, pointing the spatula at him.

"Happy Father's Day Alfred," Harley said mildly. "Happy Father's Day Bruce." She sat down. Jason sat up and glanced at Tim; Damian looked up as well.

"No. It is not…" Tim whispered.

"Shit," Jason swore. Bruce smacked him on the back of the head.

"It's going to be a great gift when you guys clean up the mess you made last night," Bruce threatened.

"Don't pretend," Jason warned. "You forgot too. You always give Al the day off, and he's working right now."

"If I wasn't, you'd all starve," Alfred smiled, with a glance at Jason. "I'm happy too. I never know _what _to do on my days off, anyway."

"Relax," Jason offered.

"When you've been taking care of this one for as long as I have-" Alfred smacked Bruce with the spatula- "You forget what relaxation is."

"Hey! Hey everyone!" Dick suddenly stumbled into the kitchen, packages under his arms. He grinned stupidly and looked around the table, dumping the presents on an open space on its surface. "You guys left these upstairs," he said, with a pointed look at Tim and Jason. One was neatly wrapped in white and blue paper, another sloppy ball of newsprint, and the third was smaller and scarlet red. Bruce raised an eyebrow at him and then looked around the table.

"'Left them upstairs', huh?" Bruce narrowed his eyes at Dick. "Nice touch, wrapping them like Tim and Jason would."

"I got no complaints," Jason said, examining the sloppily wrapped newspaper present. Dick slid the white and blue package toward Bruce.

"Open Tim's first!" He winked at Tim, still smiling broadly. Bruce smiled a little, tearing the paper off. Inside the box was a sleek silver watch.

"It does GPS, heart rate stuff, some mumbo jumbo about counting your steps and you can call people on it!" Dick smiled, and then kicked Tim under the table.

"Happy Father's Day!" he cheered halfheartedly. "Hope you like it."

"Thank you, _Tim_," Bruce smiled at him. Jason shoved his across the table.

"Mine next!" Bruce ripped away the paper to reveal a studded collar and a cat toy with a bell. Jason clapped Dick on the shoulder as he shook with laughter. "Yes!"

Dick grinned proudly as Bruce gave them both a half hearted glare, but he couldn't hide his smile. "Damian, what about you?" Bruce asked, pulling the last package towards himself. Damian glanced up from his tablet.

"I called a garage that repairs motorcycles last night. They already have your bike and are hard at work," he said calmly, with a small smile. Bruce raised his eyebrows, impressed, as Alfred distributed plates with bacon and eggs on them.

"There," Selina said, putting her hand on Bruce's chest. "Now there isn't anything to be upset about."

"Unless he used _my _money," Bruce mumbled.

"No, I paid for it." Dick looked at him, shrugging. "Now open my present!" He grinned excitedly, taking Harley's hand. Bruce pulled the small red box toward him and ripped the paper off the top. He opened the lid and pulled out a mug. After staring at it for a few seconds, he turned it toward Dick.

"What the hell is this?" he demanded. Harley choked a little when she read the inscription. It said 'World's Best Grandpa".

"Happy Father's Day to both of us!" Dick smiled. Harley's face turned bright crimson as she covered her eyes.

"Oh God no," she mumbled. Jason peeked over at the mug and spat out his bacon.

"Fuck," he cussed. Tim looked pale as his eyes flicked from the mug, to Dick, to Harley, and back to the mug. Alfred shook his head and walked back toward the stove, and Selina had to sit down.

Barbara stared Dick down. "Please tell me this is a joke."

"What? No, I thought-" he laughed a little, still smiling. "It's not a joke…"

"Well it sure as hell isn't funny," Bruce growled. Harley refused to meet anyone's eyes, but she swore she could feel everyone looking at her.

"I'm not- It's- Okay, I'm realizing that this _probably _was a terrible way to tell you…"

"Well no shit," Jason muttered.

He bit his lip, squeezing Harley's hand as he looked around at everyone. "But… we're happy."

"Oh God!" Jason exclaimed. "I take back all of those jokes!"

"Dick this is not…" Barbara dropped her head in her hands, massaging her temples. Damian stood and left the room, leaving his half-eaten breakfast.

Dick laughed nervously. "...surprise?"

"How?... no… no," Bruce said firmly. "When…?" He was flustered.

Cringing, Dick looked at Bruce. "Second or third date?"

"So over two months?" Bruce sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Technically," Alfred said, "in pregnancy terms, it's more like three, Sir."

"Dick," Bruce groaned.

"I think that was the problem," Jason cackled.

"Shut up, Jason," Dick snapped. Barbara sighed deeply and looked across the table.

"Harley, you haven't said anything," she pointed out, smiling a little.

"I'm sorry," Harley squeaked, peeking through her fingers.

"Why? You don't have anything to be sorry for. Congratulations." Barbara smiled wider, looking at Harley reassuringly. "Dick, you're a complete dumbass for springing it on us like this, but congratulations."

"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?" Selina asked, moving to the chair beside Harley.

"Umm, no," she answered somewhat nervously. "Doctor's don't check for that until week twenty."

"I want it to be a surprise," Dick added, smiling. Selina nodded.

"Well I think it's sweet. Another addition to the family, right Bruce?" She looked at him expectantly over the top of her coffee mug.

"What?" he asked, bewildered.

"Dick," Tim talked over him, "I'm surprised. I always thought Jason would be the dumb one to show up with some random pregnant girlfriend. I thought you were smarter than that."

"Hey! Don't talk about Ivy that way," Jason whined.

"Or _Harley_ for that matter, Tim," Dick said warningly. "I _am _smarter than showing up with some 'random' pregnant girlfriend. There's no one I'd rather it be than her."

"At least I'm smart enough use protection," Jason snapped.

"Oh save it, Jason, even with this new development Dick's still more virtuous than you. Don't try to play it off like you're some sort of good guy," Barbara smirked at him.

"I never pretended to." Jason snorted. "I was the one found trying to steal the Batmobile's hubcaps."

"Do not let Dick name the baby," Barbara suddenly said, turning to face Harley.

"I'm good at naming stuff!" Dick protested.

"No you're not," Selina said firmly.

"Master Richard," Alfred walked past where Bruce was still rooted in place. "I hope you aren't planning on raising that child here."

"I-" he stopped, as if the idea hadn't occurred to him. "I honestly hadn't thought about that."

"The real question is: Will it have the Joker's green hair?" Jason chimed.

"Jason!" Barbara and Tim shouted in unison, as Dick lunged across the table at him.

"Whoa, Dick stop!" Barbara cried, pushing him back. "He was just making a joke, that was _way_ out of line," she glared at Jason.

After a few seconds of silence, Tim asked, "It's not possible right?"

"Tim!" Barbara hissed.

"It's impossible," Harley assured them quietly. Dick put an arm around her shoulders protectively, shooting a glare at Jason.

"Bruce, are you okay?" Selina asked, looking at him at the end of the table.

"I think… I'm just…" He groaned. "You're only twenty-four, Dick."

"And you were already Batman at that age," Selina reminded him.

"I know, but-"

"-It's fine Bruce," Selina cut him off. "There's no funeral this time." She walked over to him. "Instead there's a new life." Bruce sighed.

"I'm not an eleven year old kid anymore, Bruce," Dick smiled a little. Bruce nodded a little.

"Dang," Barbara whispered. "My Father's Day gift is just not going to compare."

"Speaking of, shouldn't you be there harassing your dad?" Dick took a drink of his coffee, smiling broadly. She checked her watch.

"He should have everything wrapped up by now." She hopped up from her chair. "No other news while I'm gone," she warned. "If Tim is getting married, he has to wait to tell you." She backed out of the room.

"Oh my God, I'm gonna be an uncle!" Tim cried suddenly, looking up from his plate. Dick laughed. Jason smacked his hands up to his face.

"I'm too pretty to be an uncle!"

"You'll get bald and fat, and we'll all call you Uncle Jason," Dick taunted.

"Oh thank God," Jason breathed a fake sigh of relief. "Damian's going to be an uncle as well, so there's no chance I'll be the worst."

"No, you'll just be the one in jail that everyone disowns," Tim muttered, finishing off the last of his toast.

"So in other words, the fun uncle."

"No, if you go to jail again, you won't be anywhere near our kid," Dick mused, shaking his head. "As a matter of fact, I think Tim would be the only acceptable influence in this family."

"Hey, no fair," Jason whined. "Worry more about her going to jail," he pointed at Harley. "Her count's getting up close to mine, _and_ she's exceded me in deaths."

"I wasn't really talking about your body counts, Jay, so much as the drinking, the smoking, the spontaneous suicidal motorcycle races…" Dick raised his eyebrows, looking at him seriously. "Stuff like that."

"Hey, Tim was in that race too, so there goes your acceptable influence theory." Face it," Jason said, "that kid is doomed to be as screwed up as the rest of this family. Possibly on the scale of running around as a giant bat."

"A bat that pays your bills," Bruce warned.

"And your bail every other week," Tim added sarcastically. Selina slipped her arms over Bruce's shoulders, her chin resting on the top of his head as she examined the cat toy that Jason had given him.

"Not even fair." Jason raised his hands in the air, talking over Tim. "I died. Does anyone care that I died!" he cried.

"Taking care of them is going to be good practice isn't it?" Harley mused.

"_No_, no one cares that you died. When you pass the three year anniversary, no one cares anymore," Tim mumbled.

"I think it will be good practice, yeah," Dick smiled at Harley, pulling her close and kissing her head. Selina dropped the cat toy and then buckled the studded collar around her wrist, showing Bruce her new bracelet. He rolled his eyes, and she giggled, ruffling his hair. Tim and Jason had begun to argue, and Alfred put his hands on Dick and Bruce's shoulders.

"Happy Fathers Day," he smiled proudly.


	34. Twister

_**The Manor was shocked.**_

_**In the wake of Dick's announcement, he and Harley had some down time. What followed was a long day of relaxation. Finding ways to break the boredom is almost as difficult as breaking out of Arkham.**_

_**Bruce refused to take Dick out with him tonight. How could he? Knowing that his son is an expecting father changes everything. Stakes were high before in the Battlefield of the streets of Gotham, but now they're higher than ever.**_

Things had finally begun to calm down after the initial excitement of Dick's impromptu announcement that morning. Through the day the family had thinned out; Bruce locked himself away in his study, Tim reluctantly left to return to Jump City and his Titans, and Jason disappeared after lunch without so much as a goodbye. Selina eventually slipped into the study to be closer to Bruce, and she fell asleep on one of the plush chairs in front of his desk as he worked away. Damian was nowhere to be found, but neither was his dog; presumably he'd taken him for a walk around the grounds. Alfred received his day off, as promised, and the Manor was quiet without him.

"No," Harley whined. "Dick we are not playing Life again."

"But I didn't land on a kid last time; that's hardly fair. And, a tree fell on my house." He shook the box at her.

"We've played it three times. You had twins before; I think you'll survive." She saw him reaching for another box. "I swear, if that is that train game again…"

"Trains were the foundation of this country!" he cried in exasperation. "Why do you hate trains!?"

"The little, plastic circus trains were _not_ the foundation of this country," she objected. "You just find them amusing."

"_Fine_," he shoved the box back into the closet. "What do _you _want to do? Since you're tired of Life, and you hate trains and America."

"Okay, I believe the pilgrims came across on boats, so _that_ could be the foundation. Also, an argument could be made for banks, and you still refuse to play Monopoly."

"I _hate _Monopoly. Ever tried playing that with a semi-genius billionaire who actually _runs _a company? That game was ruined for me a long time ago." Dick shoved his hands in his pockets, kicking the closet door closed.

"Well, you've never tried it with a full-genius psychologist," she countered, smiling. "Although, admittedly you are better at Clue… and Operation." She thought for a second. "What about Chess?"

"Damian kicks my _ass_ in Chess," he shrugged. "And Tim is definitely better at Clue."

"Maybe you shouldn't have thrown the deck of cards at him when you lost and he'd still be here to play."

"He's got other things to do." Dick dismissively waved his hand. "Jay schools me in Poker," he said thoughtfully, and then added "something about being dead gave him a killer poker face. I never win. And I can't do Checkers, I can't even get a piece across the board before Alfred's won."

"So you only want to play games you'll win?" Harley laughed. "I think there's something to be said for that. Oldest child, some syndrome or other."

"I'll play any of them! Except Monopoly, that game is too complicated." He thought for a moment, biting his lip. Dick's face lit. "Oh! I'm _great_ at Twister."

"Don't you need at least three people for that? And I do not count as two."

"You're the one who keeps counting yourself as two when you're whining about 'feeding two people' and stuff," he protested, and a door slammed somewhere in the house.

"Okay, not fair. One bag of popcorn is not enough, and you know it," she objected.

"You wouldn't even share the second bag!" he laughed. "Besides, microwave popcorn isn't even real food it's just air and maybe some corn bits grown in a lab. You can't keep-"

"-Richard," Damian said, walking into the room with Allie in his arms and Titus at his heels. "Where is everyone?"

"Tim left for the Titans, Jason's AWOL, Bruce and Selina are in the study. Where have you been all day?" he asked, cocking his head a bit.

"Around." Damian shrugged. Allie clawed at his hand.

"Its getting to be around ten. Did you eat anything for dinner?" Dick asked, crossing his arms and looking at Damian, his eyes narrowed.

"I don't need to be watched over," Damian snapped.

"So that's a no? Come on, let's grab some hot dogs and cook them in the fireplace," he smiled, steering Damian toward the kitchen, Harley's hand held tight in his.

"Do not push me Richard," he hissed, marching ahead of them.

"It was a gentle nudge," Dick smiled, draping an arm over Harley's shoulders as they walked into the kitchen. Titus trotted behind Damian as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a microwave dinner. "You're not going to eat with us?" Dick asked, frowning slightly as he got the hot dogs.

"I have no interest in being your third wheel," Damian muttered.

"Trikes are very efficient," Dick said pointedly.

"Besides, you do have our cat," Harley added. Damian stared between them.

"Allie has been with me because she hates drama. Any competent owners would know this." He swept from the room, the cat clutched tightly to his chest.

"We're never getting that cat back from him you know that, right?" Dick asked, carrying all of the hot dog supplies out of the room.

"He's speaking for her now. There's no chance is there?" Harley smiled, shifting the water bottles to her elbow.

"Not anymore. We'll have to find another pet." Dick sat gracefully in front of the fireplace, tossing on some more kindling and dumping the food onto the floor. He tore the hot dog package open with his teeth.

"Yeah, that's just what we need: a baby and a puppy because I know you're already thinking of breeds." She sat down beside him, tossing his water bottle in his lap.

"I like big dogs…" he mused, roasting a hot dog and then putting it in a bun. "So where do you think the prime real estate in Gotham is? I guess this means I should probably buy a real car…"

"You mean one with an actual back seat?" she asked. "Wow. I think I said something like that before in high school for completely different reasons."

Dick laughed. "Yeah, with a back seat and everything."

"And preferably not wrecked," she added. "Or not going to be wrecked." She stabbed a hotdog with a prong and thrust it into the fire.

"Yikes, no." Dick bit his lip. "That was… I don't know what that was. I wasn't myself when that happened… It won't happen again." He stared at the fire, pushing down the memory as he took a bite of hot dog.

"I don't know," Harley mused. "If I recall, there were a couple flaming motorcycles."

"One of which you and the General blew up," he nudged her, finishing his hot dog.

"You parked it next to a building with a bomb. That is not my fault." She pointed her hotdog at him. "_And_ you were following me."

"You needed to be followed. I am _still _disappointed that you didn't run away with me right then and there when I offered." Dick laughed, wiping his hands on his jeans as he leaned back against the couch.

"Me too," she sighed, nibbling on her hotdog. "You sure do know how to make a psychopath feel loved."

"You've officially met my family. My father figure dresses up like a giant bat, he's dating a jewelry thief, a 'cat burglar', two of my brothers are murderers and the other decided he wanted to be a vigilante willingly. Offered to be Bruce's intern. I've had experience making psychopaths feel loved. And I hope you feel right at home," he grinned, nudging her with his boot. "It's your family now too."

"Strange. Do most families steal cats?"

"Did I _not _just say it was full of psychopaths?" he smiled at her, the firelight casting shadows on his face.

"And cat burglars," she laughed.

"You know, Arkham says you're certifiable, but you don't seem all that crazy to me. You never have." Dick watched her as he unscrewed the cap on his water bottle.

"Even after that joke?" Harley elbowed him in the side.

"Worse than that has come out of my mouth, don't worry. Stick around long enough and you'll start to hear them more often." Dick took a drink of water and then set the bottle aside, taking Harley's hand in his. He examined her slender fingers, smiling a little.

"And where else would I be going?"

"I don't know," Dick shrugged. "You have pretty hands. You know what could make them even prettier?" A smile played at the corner of his lip as he looked at her.

"Hmm?" she sighed.

"A ring," Dick whispered. They were sitting side by side, their shoulders touching. He smiled at her.

"Dick," Harley groaned, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Oh, um… sorry," Barbara mumbled. Dick and Harley turned. She was standing in the open doorway, blushing and not meeting their eyes. "I was just looking for Bruce…to see about patrol… sorry." She turned to leave. Dick bit his lip, watching her walk out the door in silence. He glanced at Harley, hiding his smile.

"What? I'm not proposing, I'm just casually bringing up the idea. What's wrong with that?" he laughed.

"And the last idea you had involved telling everyone I was pregnant with a coffee mug," she reminded him.

"It wasn't my best idea, yeah." He met her eyes, still holding her hand. "But I've never been so sure about something. That's what I want. Maybe not now, maybe not soon, but I'm going to get you to say yes one of these days," Dick grinned that stupid grin of his.

"Maybe I'm getting you to keep asking," she smirked.

"You'll have to give in sometime," he leaned his head back against the couch cushion, still smiling. "You told me that people propose when it's the only thing that could make them happier. I'm never happier than I am when I'm with you."

"But I thought you wanted a puppy." She wrinkled her nose in amusement.

"I do. And a house, a white picket fence- the whole storybook thing. But that's all they are, Harley, they're _things._ The only way I could possibly be happier is knowing that you're by my side for the rest of my life."

"You know," Harley mused quietly, "you have this way of making me feel like the past few years never happened. That all the bad I did never existed. You showed me that I wasn't happy; that what I had wasn't love or a life. So I guess, yeah, I agree with you."

"Is that a tentative yes?" Dick wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against her head.

"You said you weren't asking," she laughed.

"Can I take a rain check on that yes, then?" He smiled, his arms warm around her.

"What yes?" she asked slyly.

"Alright, I get it," Dick laughed softly, and then glanced at her. "On a completely unrelated note, what's your ring size?" Harley laughed, resting her hands on his chest.

"Like I'm going to make this easy for you."

"Yeah, I thought that this might boil down to me dragging you kicking and screaming to a jewelry store," he smiled and pulled Harley close.

"Have I ever made anything easy?"

"Well I don't think I tried _too_ hard to get you to say yes to a first date," he shrugged his shoulders a bit. The fire cast a warm glow over the room, the only source of light save for the moonlight through the windows. Harley shifted so she could curl up in his lap.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: you're a hard man to say no to. But that doesn't mean I won't make it a challenge."

Dick ran a hand through her soft blonde hair gently, smiling down at her. "I love a good challenge."

"Good." She stretched up to give him a kiss. Dick closed his eyes, one hand cupping her face gently and holding her close as he kissed her back. She twisted her fingers tight into his t-shirt as their tongues found each other. He slid his other hand to her hip, holding her on his lap as the fire crackled beside them. Alfred the cat mewed as he slunk into the room. Harley broke away with a gasp, and Dick bit his lip. "We kind of have a mess in here," she whispered.

"Mmmhh," Dick muttered, kissing her chin. Alfred nibbled a hot dog out of the package.

"We really should clean up." She ran her hands up to his shoulders.

"Hhmmm," he agreed, tracing a thumb along her jaw as he kissed her neck.

"And go to bed," she offered. She clasped her fingers together at the ridge of his spine as he kissed the hollow of her throat. He ran his hands down to her hips and grabbed her thighs; taking her up with him as he stood. Harley hooked her legs behind his back as he strode quickly from the room.

"Always so sensible," Dick chuckled, pressing the elevator button with his thumb as he kissed her shoulder.

"You know me. I've never done a crazy thing in my life." The doors slid open, and he reluctantly set her on the elevator floor, jamming the button, and leaning against the wall. He pulled her close to him by the waist, his head bent over her. "With the world no longer in danger, and me not needing to die anytime soon, what are we going to do with ourselves?" Harley taunted, tipping her head up so their lips were almost brushing. Dick's hand slid under her shirt at her waist, and he traced the scar that the Joker's knife had left with his thumb.

"I'm sure we can find something to pass the time," he breathed, smiling like he had the day they met. His eyes were so trusting, so loving as he watched her now, and he closed the gap between their lips, kissing her slowly. He reluctantly broke off the kiss before Harley would have wanted him to and grinned. "I mean, there are _lots _of board games." Harley raised her eyebrows. The elevator jerked to a stop.

"You know what? You're right," she sighed as the elevator doors slid open. "We should just go play Monopoly." She stepped away, reaching to press the first floor button.

Dick blinked in surprise, still leaning against the wall. "Well that backfired."

"Yeah, but I don't really feel like playing." Harley leaned slightly against the button panel, smiling up at him. "But since I know how much you _love_ Monopoly, you go ahead." She stepped out of the elevator, grinning over her shoulder at him.

Dick followed her out of the elevator and slipped his hand into hers. "Well played, Harley Quinn, well played," he smiled, kissing her cheek.

"You said you liked a challenge," she taunted. She opened Dick's bedroom door, flicking the light on. When she turned around, she ran into his chest, and her lips met his as he kissed her fervently. His hands rested on either side of her face. Harley could feel his strong chest under her hands, and one hand fell away from her face to close the door behind him. He flicked the light back off, leaving the room in a pale glow from the open curtains. Bringing his hand back to her cheek, he brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Their lips parted for a second as they both panted slightly, faces still bent inches apart.

Dick kissed her top lip gently, feeling her smile. They were standing so close, their hips were touching and legs crossing each other as Harley leaned in to his chest, holding herself against him.

"Are you still feeling like board games?" she whispered, his forehead resting against hers. "Because I think now I'm up for Twister."


	35. Happy

_**He can't help it. **_

_**Dick is always in a good mood, but today, he's just… happy. The woman he loves is carrying his child, his family is safe and- for the most part- getting along, the Joker is behind bars… Nothing can dampen his spirits.**_

_**Technically supposed to be healing from a stab wound, Dick visits the station to talk to Will, and tell him the good news. Will is his guidance, experienced in the oh-so-normal family man role. Not all he has to say is good, though...**_

Harley could feel Dick's fingers tracing down her spine, his lips moving along her shoulder blades as she slowly woke up. A soft breeze blew the curtains away from the open window; the air wafting in was damp and chilly. The sun had barely risen. Harley pried her eyes open and she could see the alarm clock on the table reading _6:07._

"Dick, it's barely even morning!" she whined. Harley could feel Dick's lips part in a smile against her shoulder, his breath warm on her skin.

"I know. Sorry, I was going to get up to get a head start on some errands, but you just look so good laying there…" he trailed off, smoothing some of her messy blonde hair to the side so he could kiss her neck. "Go back to sleep, Harles," Dick whispered and sat up, the pale light of the morning casting a silhouette of his muscular torso as he ran a hand through his hair.

"You go back to sleep," she murmured, rolling on her side and grabbing his hand. Dick laughed softly, fighting her a bit as she pulled him back down on the bed.

"I can't sweetheart, I've got things I need to do today. You need your sleep," he smiled at her, and even with his insanely messy hair and tired eyes, he was still breathtakingly handsome.

"There is absolutely nothing that could be going on at six am that is more important." She smiled up at him before covering her eyes with one hand. The fingers of her other hand wound through his.

"It's not more important, but it has to be done," Dick smirked a bit and cocked his head, kissing her gently. Harley jumped when his lips met hers, her hand still over her eyes.

"Nope. You can't leave now." She blinked up at him, moving her hand to his shoulder to try and pull him down beside her. Dick laughed.

"Harles!" he protested, but he lay down beside her again, kissing her cheek. "I can stay for a bit. But I really do have things to do today. You can tag along later, if you'd like."

"In a little while," she sighed, curling into his side. Her hand was still in his.

"I just have to stop by the circus, make sure everything is running smoothly, go see Will and see how he's settling back in Gotham… If you come, maybe we could look at houses," he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, sighing happily. In the pale light Harley could see the puckered scar on Dick's shoulder from the Joker's knife.

"Is the circus even up at this hour? Isn't that a night thing?" She softly kissed his scar. "Looks like you can't leave."

"Oh they're up. I was up at five every morning. There's chores to be done, animals to be fed, equipment to be checked… The circus performs at night, but the fun stuff all happens outside the show," he closed his eyes, smiling at the memories of his childhood home.

"Then they're busy. Don't interrupt them," she tried again.

"You just want me to stay here as long as possible, don't you?" he grinned, looking at her. Dick rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand.

"What gave me away?" She snuggled her head into his elbow. "Don't leave."

"Those may be two of the sweetest words I've ever heard," Dick smiled down at her, stroking her hair. He couldn't bring himself to leave.

"Well here are the next best three: I love you." She closed her eyes, breathing in slowly through her nose; she could smell his familiar cologne.

"I love you, too, Harley." Dick watched her, still grinning. Her breathing evened out as she fell quickly back to sleep, her body warm against his. Dick relaxed down into the pillows, tugging Harley's slender frame closer. She'd asked him- no, _told _him- not to leave, and he didn't want to disobey her, but he couldn't stay. Dick slowly slipped out from under her and pulled his pants on, closing the door as quietly as possible in the hallway. He turned and strolled down the hall toward the kitchen, sliding down the banister and pushing the door open.

"Alfred. What are you doing up!?" Dick demanded, cocking his head a bit.

"I am always up at this hour. How did you think your breakfast was made?" Alfred raised his eyebrows, smiling. Dick shrugged.

"I just assumed the House Elves did it."

"I fired them years ago," Alfred retorted.

Dick beamed at his response. "Can I help you make breakfast?"

"I think everyone prefers their food _edible_, Master Richard."

"I'm not that bad!" he protested, his shoulders slumping a bit as he looked down. "I try. I just wanted to bring something to Harley." Alfred stared at him for a moment.

"Come along," he sighed. "I'll help you."

"I mean I know I suck at cooking," Dick smiled a little. "So what are we making?"

"I am merely assisting. You are making the decisions."

"Chocolate chip pancakes," Dick blurted, grinning. "No one hates chocolate chip pancakes."

"Alright, Master Dick, if you say so," Alfred replied with a small smile. He began to show Dick how to make pancakes from scratch, and then helped him pour them onto the skillet where he sprinkled on the chocolate chips.

"This is nice, Al. It's quiet when there isn't anyone awake."

"You'd be surprised at how silent it generally is with Master Bruce and Master Damian." With a skeptical glance from Dick, Alfred smiled. "All right, you _wouldn't _be so surprised. Master Damian generally sits in Master Bruce's study and watches him work, listening to music or sketching. If he isn't in there, he's off somewhere on the grounds."

"He does keep to himself," Dick agreed, flipping over a pancake and biting his lip when he saw that the center was a bit burned.

"He's much like Master Bruce was at that age," Alfred told him, checking the pancake.

"After his parents' deaths," Dick acknowledged, and then glanced at Alfred. "Was he different? Before that happened?"

"He talked more," Alfred simply said.

Dick stared at the pancake thoughtfully, thinking of his own parents. "At least Bruce had you," he elbowed Alfred gently, putting the pancake on the stack and smiling at the perfectly set tray.

"I like to believe you had me as well." Alfred began picking up the messy dishes.

"I did. You and Bruce were there for me from day one, and I appreciate that." Dick grinned and picked up the tray. "Wish me luck! I hope this doesn't make her sick."

"If she can stomach you, it should be fine."

"Ha ha, very funny…" Dick smirked as he left the kitchen, carefully making sure that he hadn't accidentally put coffee on the tray. He straightened the flowers that he'd gotten from the garden before entering the bedroom. "Harles? You up?" he made sure to whisper, so he wouldn't wake her if she wasn't.

"What?" she mumbled. "Yeah, I'm up." She rolled over, her eyes still closed.

Dick bit his lip and smiled, sliding the tray onto the nightstand and brushing her hair away from her face. "How are you feeling this morning, gorgeous? I brought you breakfast."

"Did you cook it?" she asked, smiling up at him. "Should I be worried?"

"Alfred helped. And I ate the first couple of burned ones." Dick kissed her head and went to the walk-in closet, rummaging around for a t-shirt and clean jeans. He settled on a deep green v-neck with a black cargo jacket, tugging them on.

"Oh my goodness, chocolate," Harley sighed. She devoured another bite. Dick laughed, making an attempt to smooth his hair in the mirror.

"So good choice on the pancakes," he mused, slipping his phone into his pocket.

"Excellent," she agreed, smiling at him over the rim of her juice glass.

"I'd best be off," he sighed, cocking his head a bit as he looked at her sitting on his bed. With another smile, he kissed her cheek and stole a piece of her pancake.

"Didn't we already go through this?" Harley pouted.

"The sooner I leave the sooner I can be back," he winked, stroking her cheek.

"When you put it like that, it does make it a _bit_ better," she admitted, wrinkling her nose. Dick laughed and kissed her nose.

"I'll be back before you know it," he replied, and then left the bedroom, calling an 'I love you' over his shoulder.

Dick spent an hour or two at Haly's Circus, overseeing practice and ensuring that everything was in order. When he finally left, he headed to the Police Station to talk to Commissioner Gordon about recent happenings in Gotham; when he walked in the door he was greeted by Will's pleasant smile. Dick grinned back, pretending to favor the shoulder he was stabbed in.

"Will! How are you? How's the family?"

"Dick it's good to see you," Will beamed. "We just got back. We're all staying in a hotel until we find a new house. How are you?"

"I'm doing… a lot better than good." He smiled broadly and shoved his hands in his coat pockets, shrugging.

"I saw the news." Will shook his head and chuckled. "How's the shoulder?"

"I feel a lot better," Dick replied, wincing for effect as he rolled his shoulder gingerly. "I'm back to my annoying-as-hell optimistic self, too. Everything is just better lately. You haven't found a house?"

"It's only been a few days, and it takes some time to find the right one." Will shrugged. "What have you been up to since I left? Staying out of trouble?"

"Yeah, actually. Most of us have just been laying low at the Manor for a bit. Harley's technically still a wanted criminal, and I should _technically_ still be bedridden…" Dick bit his lip, smiling. "I think Harles and I are going to head back to my apartment tonight, though. Why don't you guys stop by for dinner? I'm sure you're tired of take-out and hotel food."

"Dick, you can't cook," Will reminded him. "There was a reason you always came over to our house for dinner."

"Harley makes terrific potato salad. She's a great cook. Come on, please? It'll give us a chance to catch up," Dick urged him, still smiling.

"Alright," Will laughed, "but we'll have to bring Lilly. Molly is super strict about babysitters now."

"I would be glad to have Lilly there," he smiled. "It'll give me practice."

"For jumping out of windows?" Will joked.

"For my own in a few months," Dick replied, biting his lip and looking at Will, trying to gauge his reaction. Will stared at him opened mouthed.

"Your own window?" he asked hopefully. Dick shook his head and laughed.

"Why does everyone always look at me like I'm nuts? You all seem so concerned and disappointed," he ran a hand through his hair. "I'll just throw in 'we're looking for a house and I want to propose' in there as well."

"I think I need to sit down." Will spun his chair around and sank into it. "I think my brain is having a hard time processing how weirdly _too_ normal this is for you. Instead of something like being Superman's brother or something, you're starting a family." Will thought for a second. "Except for the proposing. That is typically you."

"Oh come on," Dick shook his head. "It's not as normal as it sounds, and it's not as _bad _as you're making it sound, Will. We're happy."

"Dick, you're always happy. That doesn't mean it's good."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dick asked, sitting down at his desk chair across from Will. He thought for a second.

"For example: you're a," Will lowered his voice to a whisper, "nighttime vigilante, and that isn't the smartest thing you could be doing."

"I know couples that it works for. Superman and Wonder Woman. Red Robin and Wonder Girl. We can make it work," Dick said firmly.

"You're going to make it work," Will corrected. "She's going to be stuck at home while you go out and play superhero."

"Maybe it doesn't have to be like that," Dick said, getting frustrated at the holes being poked in his perfect plan. "Maybe I'd _quit_, did you ever think of that!? I want to be with her, Will!"

"Oh no," Will laughed. "You've never spent time around pregnant women, so I'm going to give you a bit of advice. Never tell a woman that you are going to not do something because of her." He shook his head. "Doesn't end well."

"Yeah, thanks for the tip," Dick muttered, dropping his head in his hands.

"However," Will added, "you are supposed to do things because she's pregnant. And _don't_ argue the double standard."

"Yeah, you know I'll screw up anyways. But thanks for trying," Dick gave a halfhearted smile.

"Well you two have screwed up all the way to this point and seem happy about it, so maybe that isn't a bad thing." Will shrugged.

"I thought I was always happy," Dick smirked. "I should get out of here before Commissioner Gordon sees me and kicks me out. I'm technically not supposed to be here. Seven tonight for dinner?"

"Yeah, yeah." Will pointed at him. "Don't poison my wife with your terrible cooking."

"I'll make sure that I don't," Dick rolled his eyes, waving as he left the station.

As he finished his errands around Gotham, Dick couldn't help but feel nervous about what Will had said. When he finally returned to the Manor, just after three, Harley greeted him at the door and all his inhibitions melted away. He beamed at her.

"How was your day here? Not too boring, I hope, the Manor _is _somewhat dull when no one is here…"

"And yet someone always managed to hover," she sighed. "I almost wish you hadn't told them because it's like having a houseful of worrying yous. If I get asked if I need anything one more time… and I don't think Bruce has let me stand up for more than five minutes."

Dick wrapped his arms around Harley's waist with a smile, laughing softly. "You should have just escaped to my room for a nap, you must be exhausted from last night," he winked.

"I tried, but then they caught on, and then they brought food."

"My poor babies," Dick laughed. "Sitting around and eating and sleeping all day with people doting on you and caring for you and giving you things... and you still find time to complain."

"Oh, you're cute." She flicked his nose. "I don't see you dealing with Bruce because he says he wants to talk to you."

"Well I have a life, so Dad can talk to me later," Dick said sarcastically. "We're hosting dinner for the Collins family at my apartment tonight. Is that okay?"

"Yes, but hurry and get me out of here because I'm almost sure Bruce has super hearing, and he'll know you're trying to have me do something besides eat. I think socializing is off limits too."

"Well we'll just have to bend the rules a bit, won't we?" he grinned.


	36. Almost Normal

_**It's almost 'too normal.'**_

_**Dick and Harley have invited the Collins family over for dinner tonight at his small apartment, and they get a glimpse of what life could be like in a few years. Dick is ever aware of Will's warning: that this is now his life. And it may not be best to rush into it. **_

_**But who cares, when you're in love? Family is the most important thing to Dick. As the dinner winds to a close, he receives a call from Bruce- finally, his father wants him out in the field again- much to Harley's dismay. **_

"Okay, food's almost ready, the place is clean- why can't I live somewhere _bigger_- table's set, they'll be here soon… You ready?" Dick fidgeted nervously in the kitchen of his admittedly small apartment as he looked at Harley. He'd showered and cleaned himself up, wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans. He'd insisted on shopping on the way home, so Harley now had practically an entire wardrobe still sitting in shopping bags in his bedroom, as well as anything else she'd wanted. She hadn't thought that all new clothes were completely _necessary_, especially since she wouldn't be able to wear most of them when she moved to maternity clothes, though she did admit that it was nice to be spoiled by Dick, even if it was Bruce's money they were spending.

"Yes," she laughed, drying her hands on a dish towel. "Are you? You look a little jumpy for dinner."

"I know I don't know _why _I'm nervous, it's just Will. Maybe because last time I was with them I nearly got their daughter killed," Dick laughed nervously, but the memory actually made him more nervous. He bit his lip.

"Or you could think of it as last time you were with them, you _saved_ their daughter's life," she told him. Dick smiled, his shoulders relaxing a bit.

"You're right. And she adores me, what do I have to worry about?" he took a deep breath, nodding toward the stove. "Is it almost ready?"

"Yes. I'm not going to burn the chicken in the last five minutes." She put a hand on his chest. "Everything is going to be fine."

"You're right." Dick smiled, hugging her tight. "You're always right."

"And I thought I was supposed to be the crazy one."

"I love my crazy girl," he replied, and released her as there was a knock on the door. He went to answer, and Will greeted him in the hall. "Hello everyone! Come in, come in…" Dick smiled, ushering everyone inside.

"Wow Dick," Will laughed, "I never thought I'd say this in your apartment, but whatever's cooking smells good."

"Be nice." Molly elbowed her husband. Dick laughed merrily as Lilly hugged around his waist, giggling, and then took off into his apartment. Molly hugged him tight. "It's good to see you on your feet, Dick," she said gently.

"Thank you," he smiled. "I do feel a lot better. Kitchen, food and dining area are all that way," he gestured to the kitchen down the hall, and Lilly sprinted through the door. She beamed at Harley as Dick came into the kitchen behind her.

"Hi Barbara!" Lilly cried, and Dick quickly knelt beside her.

"No, this is _Harley_, Lilly," he quickly amended. The girl covered her mouth and giggled.

"Sorry Harley!"

"That's okay, Libby." Harley smiled.

"Lilly!" she corrected, flailing her arms.

"Lexi?" Harley asked.

"No it's Lilly, she squealed, giggling.

"Oh, so Lauren." She knelt down beside Lilly.

"No!" Lilly grabbed Harley's cheeks and moved her mouth as she said her name, "Lilly."

"Lilly? Are you sure?" Lilly nodded vigorously; she let loose a peal of laughter, tucking her arms back by her chest. "Well, Lilly, I'm Harley." She offered out her hand, and Lilly took it, shaking it quickly.

"You remember Harley, don't you?" Dick smiled, watching Harley lovingly. Molly stepped into the kitchen, leaning against the wall. Lilly nodded and ran back behind her mother, suddenly shy. Will followed Molly into the room, hooking his thumbs in his belt and smiling.

"Well, Dick, you always complain the apartment is small, but you've cleaned up nice," he said, and then looked at Harley. "I suppose it wasn't _really_ your doing though, you're normally a slob…"

Dick laughed and shrugged. "I clean. Occasionally."

Will ignored him. "It's good to see you again," he said to Harley.

Inexplicably, she burst into tears. She covered her mouth at a half sob, and shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she choked, hiding her face. "I don't know why…I'm sorry."

Dick glanced at Will and then took Harley's hand, mumbling an 'excuse us' as he pulled her into the living room. "Harley, are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, brushing a strand of pale hair away from her face.

"I don't know!" She tried to blink away the tears. "One second I was fine, and the next… I don't know. I just remembered him when the Joker had him, and I know I shouldn't be crying, but I can't stop."

"Oh. Harley, it's okay," Dick hugged her gently, not sure what else to do. "This is probably just your hormones acting up, just take a deep breath," he smiled a little.

"I don't even know why I'm crying," Harley muttered, angry at herself. She wiped her tear streaked cheeks.

"That's okay. Just breathe, and let it go. No need to get frustrated." Dick wiped a stray tear off of her chin and kissed her nose. Harley took a deep breath.

"If I start crying over spilled milk, is it okay to get frustrated?" she mumbled. Dick laughed.

"I think that may be an ok time to get frustrated. Would this be a bad time to mention that I forgot to buy milk when we went grocery shopping…?" Harley paused for a moment.

"Okay, good news is I don't cry over missing milk."

"Bad news is we have no milk," Dick nodded. "If Lilly wants something to drink, she can have Mountain Dew."

"Or orange juice." Harley glared at him. "We are not giving her liquid sugar."

"It was a joke, Harles. Let's serve dinner and have a nice evening," he smiled, guiding her back into the kitchen; his hand rested on the small of her back.

"Are you alright, Harley?" Will asked. Molly had sat down at the table with Lilly on her lap.

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Harley sat down, rubbing her hands awkwardly on her shorts. "Can we please forget that happened?"

"Of course." Molly smiled at her.

"I was informed that I maybe shouldn't have said 'it's good to _see _you again'," Will shrugged, and Molly sighed.

Harley laughed a little. "No it's okay."

Dick kissed her head as Harley sat down at the table. He walked to the stove and began to carefully carve the chicken. Molly tried to steady Lilly fidgeting on her lap.

"So Harley, how far along are you?" she smiled warmly, smoothing Lilly's unruly curls.

"Um," Harley bushed. She still wasn't used to talking about it. "Twelve weeks."

"Well congratulations to you both," Molly glanced at Dick, and then smiled again at Harley.

"Thank you. It is nice to finally meet you."

"And you, officially," Molly laughed. Will wandered over to the refrigerator for a beer. "Will told me a lot about you. Mostly about Dick being crazy for you…" she trailed off as Dick set a serving plate of chicken on the table between them.

"'Crazy for her' huh?" Dick kissed the top of her head, smiling. "I couldn't have said it better myself." He returned to the counter to finish getting the food ready to serve.

"Insanely in love?" Will offered, popping the cap off his beer.

"That's good too," Dick laughed.

"You could say we're a couple of fools," Harley muttered, half hoping they wouldn't hear. Dick snorted mid-drink of his water and coughed, shaking his head.

"Just wait a few years," Molly grinned, hefting a squirming Lilly back onto her lap.

"Oh come on," Will said, planting a sloppy kiss on Molly's cheek. "I think we could still show these two how it's done."

"Will!" Molly cried, laughing as she wiped her cheek. "You always get so competitive with Dick. Sit down!" she still giggled a bit, tugging him into the chair next to her.

"When you get a better looking counterpart who can do everything, you let me know if you're not competitive." Will grinned widely at her. "But we both know that won't happen since you're damn near perfect."

"All right, I think that's everything," Dick smiled broadly, sitting down beside Harley as he finished putting the food on the table. He scooped some mashed potatoes onto his plate and some onto Lilly's, and then he passed it to Molly.

"Take some potato salad before Dick gets a hold of it," Harley said, passing it to Will.

"Wait I didn't get any yet!" Dick protested, staring at the bowl.

"I'm making sure everyone gets some before you hoard it," Harley told him, handing him the vegetables instead. Dick put some on Lilly's plate and put the bowl down.

"I don't want those!" Lilly cried, sitting up on her knees.

"You have to eat them. If you're not over twenty years old, you eat the green stuff," Dick pointed at it. "I'm over twenty, so _I _don't have to."

"Whoever doesn't eat any vegetables doesn't get any dessert," Harley smirked, handing the bowl back to him.

"I don't have to eat them if I don't want to! Besides, I _always _get my daily amount in the morning. I kinda know how to take care of myself," he pushed the bowl away. Molly rolled her eyes.

"No you don't, remember that time you passed out in our living room because you were dehydrated?"

"And half-starved," Will added pointedly.

"That was _one time_, and I was particularly busy." Dick shot Will a glare, taking a drink of water.

"I don't understand how you think pancakes or cereal is equal to vegetables, but you still won't get any cheesecake." Harley smiled at Lilly. "But that means more for us, doesn't it?" Lilly wrinkled her nose before picking up a green bean and popping it in her mouth.

"Don't let the four year old be more mature than you," Will begged Dick, dolloping some potatoes on his plate.

"I'll have you know that I had a protein shake for lunch, Harley," Dick sniffed, taking some chicken. "And I'm not budging. I don't have to eat my vegetables. I didn't in the circus, Bruce didn't make me, and I won't now," he smiled playfully.

"First off, protein is in fish not vegetables," Harley corrected him. "Also, that is totally backward from what he and Alfred were telling me today, and I don't think Bruce was bribing you with dessert." She raised an eyebrow at him. Dick nearly spit out his water.

"_That's_ what's in those stupid shakes!?" he cried, staring at Harley.

"No," she sighed as Will laughed. "You're just supposed to eat fish to get protein. It's found in other things."

"Oh thank God," Dick's shoulders relaxed. "I only drink those dumb things because Bruce does."

"You only drink them because Bruce does," Harley repeated. "Do you want to go play Barbies with Lilly when we're done eating?"

"Only if I get to be Teresa," Dick deadpanned. Lilly stared at him in outrage.

"But she's _mine! _Play with the one I got you!" she cried.

"I don't know what you two are talking about," Harley rolled her eyes, "the original Barbie is obviously the best."

"Um," Will input, "I'm always Barbie. You'll have to pick a new one." Molly sighed.

"I left the Barbies in the car, _so_ no one gets to be anyone, alright?"

"I might actually have some action figures down in storage still…" Dick pondered, shoveling a forkful of chicken into his mouth.

"You should have told Will," Molly told him, cutting her piece of chicken, "he would have brought his Transformers."

"They're mint condition and original," Will said proudly.

"Mine are Superman ones. I also have a few Barbies-" he glared at Harley, as if daring her to make fun of him- "from the nineteen-ninety-something Olympics. Other than that, I think I left most of my toys at the Manor. That could be a fun treasure hunt later."

"I wonder if my old Care Bears are somewhere," Molly thought aloud, and Lilly got excited.

"Oh, can I play with them?" she pleaded, dipping her sleeve in gravy.

"Honey, watch your clothes. You just put your arm in the gravy…" Molly reached toward Lilly and wiped her sleeve with a napkin. Dick cleared his throat.

"So how is the house hunting going?" he asked, taking more potato salad.

"Slow," Will groaned, taking a swing from his beer. "It's hard to find something close to both our jobs, in a good school zone, and within our price range."

Dick stared at him for a moment, and then looked at Harley. "Do we need that?"

"Yes," Harley laughed. "And probably a yard for your fictitious future puppy."

"I can't decide on a breed or a name," Dick leaned against the back of his chair thoughtfully.

"Maybe worry about baby names first," Molly suggested, helping Lilly cut her chicken instead of just tearing pieces off with her teeth.

Dick's cheeks pinkened a bit, and he smiled. "We hadn't really thought about that yet," he confessed.

"Barbara, Tim… and Jason all told me Dick shouldn't be trusted with baby names," Harley told Molly.

"Those-" Dick narrowed his eyes. "What else did those traitors tell you? I'm perfectly capable of coming up with names."

"Then call me a traitor because I agree with them," Harley admitted.

"What!? Why!?" Dick looked at her incredulously. "The names I come up with are not that ridiculous."

"Do we need to go into detail?" Harley demanded. "I don't want to embarrass you." She grinned as she scooped up some potato salad.

"Um, _yes_," Dick said, challenging her. "Because I am ashamed of none of them because they are all awesome," he smirked.

"We'll take your word for it," Will said, winking at Harley. Dick groaned.

"Fine, _don't _believe me."

"I believe you!" Lilly cried. Dick stared at Harley and then scooted his chair closer to Lilly.

"_She_ believes me."

"Lilly, what do you think is a good name for a baby?" Harley asked.

"Squishy. That's what they are, and it can be boy or girl," Lilly told her happily.

"Case and point," Harley said half laughing.

"I dunno," Dick shrugged. "Squishy Grayson has a nice ring to it."

"You do know it's the name of a jellyfish right?" Will asked. "From a movie. How cliche."

Dick thought for a moment, pushing his empty plate aside. "Maybe I'll name the dog Squishy."

"Puppies are fluffy," Lilly corrected.

"Puppies can be squishy too, can't they?" Dick asked, feigning shock. Lilly shrugged as her father looked at her.

"I suppose they can," he agreed with Dick, and Molly rolled her eyes. Dick laughed as he stood, taking the empty dinner plates and walking to the sink. His phone rang and he glanced at the cracked screen. "You really need a new phone, man…" Will said as Dick answered, halting in the middle of his cheery 'hello' and listening intently. His expression had gone from casual to attentive in a split second.

"I'll be there," he said quietly as **CALL ENDED **flashed across the screen. Slipping his phone into his back pocket, Dick glanced at his guests at the table. Harley's heart sank a bit at his expression. "I'm sorry everyone, something has come up. I've been summoned to the Manor unexpectedly and it sounds… serious." With a glance out the window, Harley could see the Batsignal warped and blurred against the heavy clouds in the sky over Gotham. Will nodded understandingly.

"Of course. It is getting a bit late, we can be heading off as well. Thank you for dinner, Dick," he said, shaking Dick's hand. He smiled broadly.

"It was my pleasure."

Molly kissed his cheek and Lilly gave him a hug, making him promise to play Barbies some other time. Turning to Harley, Molly smiled gently. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I know it can be a little scary to have a baby, and I'll admit your and Dick's situation is unique, but I'm here to help you _whenever _you need it."

"Thank you," Harley smiled as Molly hugged her, and then Lilly patted her belly.

"Bye baby!" she called as she was pulled into her father's arms, and final goodbyes were said. When the door closed behind them, Harley turned to Dick.

"Did he tell you what this is about?" she asked, gesturing to the Batsignal.

"No. Just told me he needs backup," Dick said quietly. Harley pursed her lips worriedly as Dick went to his bedroom, and then remerged in his Nightwing uniform. She watched him check his pockets quickly, thinking of the almost normal evening they'd had with the Collins family. Dick looked up at her, his dark bangs falling in his face. "I'll be back," he promised.

"You'd better be," Harley said distractedly, tracing the deep red stripe over his chest. Dick cupped a hand under her chin and smiled at her reassuringly.

"Promise. When you go to bed, close your eyes and imagine me there. You'll fall asleep, and when you open them, I'll be right beside you." He stroked her cheek. Harley felt her heart skip a bit as Dick's lips met hers, soft and confident in his kiss. He inhaled deeply through his nose, allowing the kiss to taper off before stepping back and slipping his mask over his eyes. Dick smiled. "I love you."

"Be careful, okay?" Harley said, crossing her arms. "Don't go launching yourself off of buildings when I'm not there to catch you."

Dick grinned broadly and walked to the living room window, opening it wide and glancing over his shoulder at her. "Harles, you forget. I only threw myself off of that rooftop chasing after _you_. I knew you'd catch me."

With a whoop he launched himself out the window, and Harley jumped a bit, rushing across the room and stopping at the window in time to see him running toward the Batsignal across the Gotham rooftops, the same figure in the dark that she'd felt compelled to chase all those nights ago when she'd caught him on the subway.


	37. Ghost

_**Back in the saddle.**_

_**Nightwing has been called to join Batman and Robin on a call from Commissioner Gordon. Something's come up that he thinks they should look into, but Nightwing and Robin aren't so sure. Can Batman handle it?**_

_**With the sudden appearance of two Bonnie and Clyde Robin Hooders, stealing from the rich but keeping it all in the past two days, Gordon's men were at a standstill. He hopes that Batman can shed some light on the mysterious couple. **_

Commissioner Gordon stood and watched the skies, scanned the buildings around him, the streets below him; he was worried that the signal wouldn't be clear enough. The clouds had thickened and every now and then lightning flashed through them, highlighting the purples and blues and grays of the thunderheads. His long beige overcoat snapped out behind him, and Gordon's hands burrowed deep into the pockets. Five minutes passed, and then ten. The storm approaching over the bay blew cold winds with it, and the Commissioner shivered.

"Coffee, sir?" A figure asked, suddenly standing beside him. Commissioner Gordon gasped in shock, terrified at his sudden appearance, and then he exhaled slowly.

"Nightwing. Don't scare me like that, boy. What did you say?" Gordon asked, rubbing his temples and trying to calm his racing heart.

"Would you like some coffee? I stopped by a twenty-four hour drive-thru thing…" he didn't wait for an answer before pressing the paper cup into the Commissioner's hand. He greedily took a drink, sighing as the bitter liquid warmed through his chest. "I figured the big man wouldn't be here yet. Also, standing on a rooftop with a storm coming isn't the greatest idea. Contrary to popular belief, lightning strikes won't give you superpowers."

"I don't think that's popular belief," Commissioner Gordon smirked a bit as they both stared up at the Batsignal in silence. The wind whistled through the empty Gotham streets below them, creating a hollow singing to haunt even the most hardened of souls.

"Incoming," Nightwing whispered, and Gordon was about to ask him when they heard Batman's voice behind them.

"Commissioner Gordon. What's the situation?"

"Told you," Nightwing smirked as they both turned around. Batman and Robin stood silhouetted against the Batsignal.

"You're late," Gordon said casually, sipping his coffee. Nightwing crossed his arms.

"Don't patronize us," Robin's eyes narrowed behind his mask, and Gordon raised his eyebrows. Batman silently waited for an answer to his question.

"I have this for you," Commissioner Gordon said, taking a file from the inside of his jacket. Batman took it and flipped it open, the paperclipped pages flapping in the wind. "It seemed right up your alley of 'weird'. All completely unrelated crimes, ranging from blackmail to forgery to murder- but the connection between them all has the department baffled."

"And the connection is…?" Nightwing asked, glancing over Batman's shoulder at the file.

"Every witness to the crimes claims to have seen a ghost. They all say that a woman in pearls and an overcoat came and vanished without a trace, right before their eyes. We have photographs, and… well, you're not going to believe it, Batman. They're in the back of the folder."

Batman glanced at the Commissioner and carefully opened the rather thick file to the back, and he had to hide his shock. A young dark haired woman in fashionable evening dress, half invisible with pearls around her neck and an overcoat over her shoulders, appeared in every photo. At first glance, Nightwing was alarmed as well.

"This _ghost_ is the spitting image of the late Martha Wayne," Gordon said matter-of-factly. "You told me to call you if I was stumped on anything odd." Batman's hand clenched around the pictures.

"This definitely is odd," he agreed evenly. Robin and Nightwing exchanged nervous glances, watching Batman carefully.

"I hope you can sort it out. The boys and I at the station… we can't make heads nor tails of it. The thing leaves no prints no evidence…" Gordon rubbed the back of his neck. "I trust you'll handle it as you always do."

"We'll take care of it," Batman growled.

"Good." Gordon stared at him for a moment. "I'm sorry, do you need me to turn around so you can disappear mysteriously in the middle of my sentence?" Batman narrowed his eyes. Gordon turned around to face the city and Batman and Robin dove off of the roof, Nightwing on their heels; when Commissioner Gordon turned around, he smiled a little. "Where did he go?" he said halfheartedly, walking toward the Batsignal.

"Batman," Nightwing leaned forward between the seats in the Batmobile. "Robin, Batgirl and I can handle this if you want."

"No," Batman barked. "I'm fine."

"Jeez, Bruce, no need to snap," Nightwing mumbled, squeezing his broad shoulders between the seats. "We're here to help, okay?" Batman was silent on a long stretch of road.

"We need to get to the Batcave to figure this out," he finally said.

"Say it, say 'okay'. I want you to actually acknowledge the fact that there are people here for you to help you. In the event that your deceased parents are robbing and murdering rich people." Nightwing pressed, leaning further into the front seat. Robin simply watched, wondering how far he'd go before getting his ass kicked.

"I would throw you from the car if I didn't think you were useful," Batman said instead. Nightwing cocked his head, pondering this for a moment.

"I'll take it." He leaned back in the small seat, looking out the window. "You know, Dick, you've kinda always been there to help. _Thanks _for dropping everything and coming when I needed backup. _Thanks _for leaving your pregnant girlfriend alone in your teeny tiny apartment and making your guests leave dinner early...' we didn't even get to play a board game…" Dick muttered, crossing his arms.

"Then I did something good by not forcing that train game on people," Batman said.

"The train game is awesome!" Dick snapped, starting to kick Batman's seat.

"Yes, and so is pulling out my fingernails with pliers," Batman deadpanned. Nightwing continued to kick his seat. "Do not make me pull this car over," he warned.

"So how are we gonna catch this specter, anyway?" Nightwing asked, planting his boot against the back of Robin's seat.

"I need to get a closer look at those pictures." Batman turned down the road toward the Batcave. Nightwing groaned loudly and rolled his head back.

"What did you need me for then?! Batgirl is out on patrol why can't I go with her?"

"Once I'm sure what we're up against, you'll know where to look." He braked, skidding the Batmobile to a stop.

"Fine," Nightwing said shortly, sitting up. Batman hopped out of the Batmobile, striding over to the computer banks. By the time Nightwing and Robin got over there, he had most of the pictures scanned in and was glancing through the file.

"Is it really my grandmother?" Robin asked, looking at the enlarged pictures on the screen.

"Obviously not," Batman said, not glancing up from the file.

"I'm sorry, but it is not obvious," Dick objected, tossing his mask on the table. "She looks like every picture of Martha I've seen." Batman looked up at the screen.

"Her wrist." He zoomed in on one of the pictures. Peeking out from under her left sleeve was a pink, rubber wristband. "Those didn't exist when my mother was alive."

"So not Martha Wayne, but a scary look alike," Dik muttered. "How is she ghosting out?"

"Wayne Tech enhancements," Batman admitted. He logged into the Wayne Enterprises database and pulled up the file.

"This can't turn someone into a ghost," Robin huffed, examining the schematics of a small device called 'the Phaser'.

"No," Batman agreed. "This is a prototype based off of the Flash's ability to vibrate his molecules fast enough to phase through walls. It was stolen from the Wayne lab here in Gotham a month ago."

"Okay, so we know how she walks through walls, but how can I see the wall behind her?" Dick asked, pointing to the picture still on the screen.

"The Phaser was still highly experimental, touchy at best. Whoever this girl is, not only stabilized the reaction of the molecules, but somehow found a way to also keep them suspended in a half state that leaves her body permanently half-phased, similar to that of Martian Manhunter."

"This is years ahead of what our scientists are capable with this." Robin was impressed.

"This all sounds dangerous," Nightwing admitted.

"Having her body maintained in the suspended half state could be disastrous," Batman agreed. "Something could… be left behind."

"Definitely dangerous," Nightwing nodded. Robin glanced at him.

"What we could do with technology like that, though, right Grayson?" he smirked. Nightwing rolled his eyes and leaned against the desk to get a closer look at the woman in the pictures.

"So she's stealing anything she can fence, and forging documents for sale, all for cash. And it looks like her only murder was a…" Dick trailed off as he flipped through the file. "...One rich dude in East Gotham. She took everything from him that they could sell, even his shoes."

"This kill looked personal," Robin added, looking at the file over Dick's shoulder.

"She started small," Batman muttered, not paying the two of them any attention. "And has worked her way up. Where is she going to hit next?" he mused.

"Let's see, where could she hit the top of her game? Who's the richest asshole we know?" Dick planted his hands on his hips, looking at Batman. He turned to face Dick, the objection rising in his throat, but stopped. He glanced at the cave ceiling.

"Come on," he muttered, already out of his chair.

"Aren't you glad you didn't go with Batgirl now?" Robin taunted Dick, hurrying after his father.

"Not really," Dick muttered before slipping his mask on and running after the other two. When they reached the top of the elevator, the house was unusually quiet. It was never noisy, but tonight it seemed downright… haunted.

"Scout everywhere," Batman whispered. "If she's here, find her. Report back to the cave once it's clear." He disappeared into the dark.

"Who ya gonna call?" Nightwing whispered, slipping in the opposite direction. Alfred had turned all of the lights off and gone to bed long ago, and the Manor was dark and empty. "Now where would be the first place a robber would go in a place like this?" he breathed, talking out his nervousness. He felt like something- _someone_- was going to pop out at him like a bad horror movie. He assumed that Bruce would head straight for Selina in the bedroom, so he crept down the hallway to the study. When he opened the door, his heart nearly stopped.

The spitting image of Thomas Wayne- and _Bruce_ for that matter- stood by the desk with an open duffle bag. He looked up when Nightwing opened the door. They stared at each other for a moment.

"...shall I have Alfred pull the car around, Mr. Wayne?" Nightwing blurted, and the man recoiled, taken aback, before pulling a gun on Nightwing and blindly firing it. Nightwing barrel rolled out the door and around the side, crouching by the wall as gunshots bit into the mahogany door frame. The Thomas Wayne knockoff continued to fire as he advanced toward the door, and Nightwing braced himself for a fight. A scream echoed through the dark of the grand staircase, and his head snapped to the left, just as the man shot from the study and bolted for the door. Nightwing quickly fired a tangling cable at his feet, and he dropped to the marble floor, skidding along its surface like a downed fighter plane.

"Batman!" Nightwing shouted up the stairs, his hand gripping the banister as he waited like a racehorse at the starting gate. Robin was suddenly thrown down the hall, and he tumbled halfway down the stairs before Nightwing caught him, propping him up before racing to the top of the stairs.

Batman was in the master bedroom, his cape sweeping from his shoulders in the wind from the broken window. Selina stood silhouetted in the lightning across the room, and the Martha Wayne impostor lay at Batman's feet, a look of terror on her eerily familiar features. Batman reached down and took a small object from her jacket pocket. He pressed a button, and it made a whirring sound before it clicked silent to a stop.

"I'm sure Mr. Wayne appreciates you returning his property," Batman told her, deathly quiet. The girl took a deep breath, her hands trembling. Nightwing glanced at Batman and then his eyes fell on Selina.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, cautious of Batman's unwavering gaze on the woman. Selina nodded, and Nightwing stepped forward, putting a hand on Batman's shoulder. "We should call the Commissioner, Sir," he urged.

"First, I want my own answers," Batman said, still glaring at the girl.

"Batman," Nightwing said quietly. "She has an accomplice downstairs, let's get them together for questioning," he pressed. He wasn't going to admit the real reason he wanted to get Batman away from them; he wasn't sure how well he was taking this. Batman glanced at him.

"Fine. Get them both together in the study. And call the Commissioner, I should be finished by the time he gets here."

Nightwing looked at Selina helplessly, hoping that she could talk to Batman, and he grabbed the woman by her arm, guiding her quickly from the room. Once they were both side by side, handcuffed in the study, Nightwing called Commissioner Gordon to come retrieve them. Seeing them up close he had to admit that the resemblance was good, but not as flawless as they'd originally thought. Nightwing and Robin waited in the dark study for Batman to join them.

"This should be fun," Robin muttered, jumping up to sit on the desk; they could hear Batman's footsteps.

"What I don't understand," Baman said, walking into the room, "is why a scientist with everything to gain, steals from her company and becomes a robber and murderer. Maybe you can explain this to me, Marie Monroe."

"Go to hell," Marie told him stubbornly.

"And this must be your brother. Robert was it?" Batman stood directly in front of them.

"Get out of my face," the guy snapped. Nightwing and Robin exchanged looks behind Batman's back.

"You can be as mad at me as you want. I don't really care," Batman growled. "I just can't understand why. You two had a great system going: Robin Hooding from the wealthy, but then you killed that man. From then on you had to know you were going to prison. So why kill him?"

"He wasn't supposed to die! We were just going to rob him but-"

"-Shut _up_, Bobby!" Marie hissed at her brother.

"So it was an accident," Batman muttered. "Well I'm sure that will be a great comfort to your sister," he said sarcastically. "That was what this was all about right?"

"How did you know about-"

"-Bobby!" Marie cut him off again.

"Breast cancer was it?" Batman asked. "I looked up hospital records on a hunch from the bracelet you wear." Marie shifted her wrists around in the handcuffs. "So you two were robbing the rich to pay for your little sister's treatment. You should have had about enough. Was this your last hit?"

"Yes you asshole," Marie cried. "And now she's going to die because of you! Stop gloating and fuck off!"

"Hey, there's no gloating going on," Nightwing said gently, walking toward Batman. He glanced down at the siblings. "You just made the wrong decisions for the right reasons." He turned so that they wouldn't hear his lowered voice. "Commissioner Gordon will want to see Mr. Wayne," he said quietly, with a pointed look at Batman. He didn't say anything; he left, leaving Robin and Nightwing alone with the two thieves. Nightwing knelt in front of them where they sat on the floor. "We have friends in the department. We'll try to get you good lawyers… if it was up to me, I'd let you go. You were just trying to save your sister because no one else would. I respect that." Bobby glanced at his sister, but she only glared at Nightwing.

"You respect that? Well respect my sister dying alone in a hospital," she hissed. Nightwing looked down.

"I'm sorry I can't help you," he sighed sadly. Commissioner Gordon came into the room with two officers. He looked at Nightwing and Robin. "I'm impressed. I'd hoped you'd just find me some information to go on, not actually catch them for me in one night. You exceeded my expectations. Is Bruce alright? Did they hurt anyone?"

"I don't even know why I bothered coming," Robin muttered, jumping off the desk and leaving. Nightwing rolled his eyes.

"No, everything is fine. They're amateurs, easy to catch. I'll explain more," Nightwing glanced over Gordon's shoulder at Will, one of the officers with him; "when I get the chance, but for now, I think Mr. Wayne just wants them out of his house. They gave him quite a start."

Gordon waved for a couple officers to get the two thieves. "Where is Mr. Wayne?"

"I'm here." Gordon turned to see Bruce standing on the staircase in the foyer.

"Good," the Commissioner looked relieved. "I'm sorry for the disturbance, Mr. Wayne, Nightwing called us with a lead on these criminals."

"As long as the guilty party was apprehended, and no one was hurt," Bruce said simply.

"My thoughts exactly," The Commissioner agreed. "I don't know if you'd care to thank the boys, but Robin and Nightwing-" Gordon turned around- "were here… just a moment ago. Damn it, the disappearing without a word thing was something I was hoping they wouldn't inherit from their mentor." He shook his head. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Wayne, I'm sure you were busy." He glanced at Selina. "We'll be leaving now."

"Have a good evening Commissioner. If you need anything, be sure to let me know." Bruce smiled cordially at him.

"You too, Mr. Wayne," he replied, heading for the door. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he sent a message to Batman telling him that his boys had captured the thief.

Bruce glanced at his cell phone and smiled as he walked back toward the library.


	38. Family

_**Dick promised.**_

_**He said he'd be home when she awoke, and that's just where he was. Beside Harley. He was unsettled by the Thomas and Martha Wayne look-alikes, but as soon as he'd reached her side, he'd relaxed into bed. He couldn't have asked for more than her shallow breathing and the warm bed sheets.**_

_**The appearance of the ghosts had bothered him, stirring feelings of his relationships, past and present. His secrets from Harley, what he's not telling her; revealed. And he misses his parents. He and Harley set off together to strengthen the bonds that Dick has with his old life, and to connect Harley with it as well.**_

Harley rolled over and smacked Dick in the face. "Oh God." She sat up as he cried out, her hair sticking out and matted in the back, and looked at him. "Sorry. I guess I thought I'd wake up when you got home, so I didn't know you were here." She glanced at the clock and saw it was a little past nine. "Oh," she mumbled. "Well of course you're here."

"Mornin' to you too," he mumbled, rubbing his face and then dropping his head back onto the pillow.

"Did you get in late?" she asked sympathetically, rubbing her eyes. "Or early, I mean… or… whatever. I miss coffee," she groaned.

"We'll have to find you an energy substitute," Dick yawned, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. He _did _look tired; shadows rimming his light eyes. Smiling, he cocked his head a bit to look at her. "How did you sleep?"

"The better question is: did you even sleep at all?" She frowned, the crease forming between her eyes. Dick smiled broader, blinking sleepily.

"I got a good four hours, maybe three and a half. I can run on that." He lifted his hand, smoothing the crease between her eyebrows.

"Maybe you should go back to sleep," she suggested, catching his hand. Dick bit his lip, quickly turning his hand in hers and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her down beside him. He smiled, his hand still held in hers.

"I'm okay, Harles. I don't need anymore sleep."

"That is not enough sleep," she complained. "Once or twice it's fine, but you can't tell me this isn't a regular thing. It'll throw off your circadian rhythm which is just bad for your brain."

"I'm fairly certain whatever rhythm I had left went out the window with Batman when I was eleven," Dick pointed out, burying his face in her messy hair.

"You can't get rid of it," she sighed. "You can only seriously screw it up." She nudged him with her elbow. "You know you can go crazy from lack of sleep."

"Then we'll be even happier together," Dick mumbled, his voice muffled by her hair. He laughed a little and tugged the blankets up to his neck.

"I've been a part of a crazy couple before. Not as fun as it sounds. Besides," she moved back a little so she could kiss his cheek, "we won't get to see each other as much if we're locked in different Arkham cells."

Dick smiled a little. "I'm not going to go crazy, Harley. And as for _you_, I'm not going to let them take you away from me. You never have to go back to Arkham."

"That's kind of illegal, hero."

"I don't care."

"So what are we going to do?" she asked him seriously. "Lock me inside all day? My secret identity isn't very secret," she reminded him.

"I haven't quite figured that out yet. But I will. I promise." Harley sighed, leaning her forehead on his shoulder.

"I just hate it. I hate feeling useless," she whined. "I can't do anything, _and_ I'm basically under house arrest."

Dick smoothed her fingers out against his hand, his chin sunken on his chest as he examined them. "You're _not _useless," he said quietly, and then turned his head a bit to look at her. "True, you should probably lie low for a while, but you're not useless. You can do _lots _of things." He smiled a little, squeezing her hand gently.

"Like what? Produce hormones and eat a lot?" Harley muttered. "Let's face it. For the next… _year_ practically, I'm… a limp noodle."

"You're a very cute and sexy limp noodle." In one swift motion, Dick lifted Harley into the air and put her on his chest, squeezing her tight and making her giggle like a child. "You're plenty useful. You make sure that I don't run myself into the ground," he smiled down at her, his hand gently pushing a stray hair out of her face. "And you _know _I can't cook for myself."

"Yay!" she mock cheered. "I'm turning into a housewife. You might as well send me back to Arkham."

"I told you, that's not going to happen," Dick said sternly, and then grinned. "Did you just call yourself my house_wife_?"

"Slow down there hot shot," Harley laughed. "It's an expression. Don't go dragging me to Vegas or something."

"I would never!" Dick snorted, grinning broadly. "You can have whatever wedding you want. You know that the wedding can come _years_ after the proposal. The ring is just symbolic."

Harley giggled. "You're going for symbolic in our relationship?"

Dick shrugged, biting his lip. "I don't know why it's such a big deal, but I suppose that _you_ don't know why I care so much either," he smiled a little. "You're not a housewife. You're just grounded at the moment." Harley groaned.

"Well it sucks. You get to go have all the fun while I'm-" She cut herself off and eyed him. "What do you mean 'I don't know why you care so much'?"

"Nothing," he laughed. "I just don't understand why my asking is such a big deal," Dick shrugged, biting his lip.

"Okay that does not answer my question," Harley said, leaning back. "And it's marriage. That _is_ a big deal."

"I know!" he cried. "I guess part of me is afraid that if I do ask you, I mean _really _ask you, it'll end up like last time. And I know people think I'm stupid and naive and young, and maybe _you _even think that but- part of me is just… afraid that you might leave if I _don't _ask you." Dick bit his lip again, glancing down at his hands. Harley sat in stunned silence for a moment. She wrapped her hands around his.

"Dick," she murmured. "Do you remember when we found out each other's identities, and you said you 'loved' me? I thought you were so repulsed and disgusted by who I was that I couldn't even think clearly. I couldn't even listen to what you said because I thought you hated me and then everything spiraled out of control, and I… chose the Joker." The words made Harley's stomach burn. "I just…" She looked down. "I never said the things I really meant. I never told you that I was going to break up with you the night of the gala because the Joker was going to kill you, and the thought of you happy with someone else was easier to bear than the thought of you gone. Then I pushed you away because I couldn't face you hating who I really was, and I didn't listen to my heart." Harley blinked, fighting the growing urge to cry. "And I never told you how _much_ I regretted that choice. Not choosing you. How bad it hurt when I thought I'd lost us. Then you loved me." She made him look into her eyes. "And I knew I didn't deserve it, and I knew I would have to earn every bit of it. And I knew," her voice wavered, "there was every chance I could die, but if it meant saving you, it was worth it. The world is nothing without you in it. And when I tried to push you away, even hoped you'd find someone else, I _couldn't_ mean it. Dick," she sighed. "I don't think I could survive without you." She smiled weakly. "I'm not going anywhere."

He wordlessly hugged her tight, smoothing her hair down to the back of her head gently as his other hand wrapped around her waist. Dick took a deep breath, and she could feel his strong chest rise and fall beneath her. She couldn't help but notice how perfect she felt in his arms as he kissed her forehead gently. "Harley…" Dick closed his eyes, still holding her close. "You don't have to earn my love. After everything you've been through, you deserve _more _than me. And I'm going to try my hardest to give it to you. As long as you're right there with me, housewife or no, we'll survive. _Together._ No matter what curveball is thrown at us." The hand at her waist tucked protectively around her belly, and he smiled. "Now don't start crying on me."

"You can't expect a pregnant woman not to cry." She smiled back at him, her eyes still watery.

"And you can't expect a man to not try to fix it," he laughed, stroking her cheek. "I know what will cheer you up," Dick smiled, sliding out from under her and of bed. He swept a pair of clean-enough jeans off of the floor and pulled them on. "Come on. Get dressed, I have a surprise for you."

"What are you planning?" Harley was skeptical, getting up slowly from the bed.

"Just come on!" he laughed, pulling a t-shirt over his muscular torso. He buckled his belt and tugged his arms through the sleeves of a beaten zip-up hoodie. "It's something that always cheers me up."

"Alright," she agreed, quickly gathering some clothes, "but you better not be cooking." She headed into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with her hair and teeth brushed. Dick had combed through his hair with his fingers and was pouring coffee into his shitty blue thermos. He smiled.

"I won't be. We can grab something on our way there." Dick opened the door for her, grabbing his keys.

"The way you're smiling about this is making me nervous," Harley told him.

They walked down the stairs to the parking spaces in front of the tiny apartment building, where the car that Dick had borrowed from Bruce sat with rain drying on it's surface. Dick swept some of it off with his jacket sleeve and then opened Harley's door for her as he balanced his thermos in his other hand. He got in, started the engine, and they listened to music on their way through the city; stopping at a McDonalds for breakfast sandwiches and yogurt.

When Harley stepped out of the car, looking up at the gates of the Gotham City Cemetery on the mainland, Dick slipped his hand into hers and smiled.

"Okay. A cemetery makes you feel better?" Harley asked.

"Sometimes these people listen the best," he shrugged. "And I thought it was about time you met my parents. Coming here to see them doesn't make me feel sad, actually, far from it. It's nice to talk to them once in a while."

"Oh God," Harley groaned. "If you were any cuter, I'd have to pinch your cheeks." She smiled wide, laughing quietly.

"Oh shut up," he laughed, holding her hand and tucking it into his jacket pocket.

He started down a long walkway, scarcely big enough for a car to fit through. "My family was buried in Gotham. I never knew why. I suppose, back then, it was a traveling circus. It wasn't uncommon for them to leave their dead behind in cities they'd been through, I'd witnessed it a few times. But Gotham was so different." Their shoes crunched along the loose and crumbling cement as a chilly breeze blew from the bay, just over a hill. Harley tucked her nose against Dick's shoulder from the cold. "When I bought the circus, I kept the traveling factor, of course, but I made a permanent fixture in Gotham. I didn't want to see my family be totally forgotten like the rest."

"They won't be," Harley assured him. "They have you, and, to me, it's more about quality than quantity in this sort of thing. And they have somebody great remembering them." She blushed a little at hearing how cheesy she sounded. Dick grinned broadly.

"Yeah. I guess they do," he laughed softly, shivering in the wind. He wrapped an arm over Harley's shoulders and kissed her head, finally coming to a stop at the edge of the cemetery in front of three plain stones, with nothing but a name and a date on each one. Dick smiled contentedly. "Harles, this is my mom Mary, my dad John, and my older brother John Jr., though we always called him just Junior," he chuckled.

"Hello," Harley piqued, waving at the stones. "I'm Dick's girlfriend, try not to be too disappointed."

"She's joking. This is Harley," Dick smiled, his arm tightening around her shoulders. A brisk wind blew in response. Somewhere, the sound of waves hitting the cliffs could be heard. "The one I told you about. We just came to say hello, and I guess we have something to tell you." Dick sat cross-legged in front of the graves and pulled Harley into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. "You all are going to be grandparents." He laughed. "Well except Junior. You're an uncle, I suppose." Harley watched Dick carry on talking to his family, laughing and chatting as easily as he would with Bruce and Damian and Tim. He told stories about Bruce and Selina, and told them how Jason was doing, and about Damian and Allie the cat. He talked fondly about his brothers; how Tim was trying to pay his own way through college, but Bruce was secretly helping, and how Selina couldn't swim, and that Will and his family were back in Gotham. Dick rested his chin on her shoulder and finally fell silent, smiling calmly as he looked at Gotham across the bay, just barely visible over the hilltop. Harley stared down at him for a moment, studying him. When he turned a bit to look at her, she mock shook his head off her shoulder.

"Good grief. You're going talk their ears off," she joked quietly. "You haven't paused once, and for all we know, they could still be stuck on being grandparents and here you are talking about Alfred's bunions." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "We're both really happy about it," she talked to the head stones again. "What a shocker that is, Dick being happy about something. Oh, and he forgot to mention he's pressuring me to marry. I said no, of course. You have to keep an acrobat on their toes." She smiled widely at him before mock whispering in his ear. "Are they going to be upset I'm a wanted criminal?" Dick shook his head with a smile, his eyes shining. "Oh well in that case. I'm recurring patient at Arkham Asylum," she admitted. "I'm sure he's told you all about it. I also may be classified as a serial killer, not sure on that one, _but_ I am a pretty good cook."

"She's a terrific cook, gorgeous as hell, and she's completely crazy. But I love my crazy girl," Dick added, nuzzling her cheek. He stood, holding her in his arms. "Alright, time to go. We have to go check on the circus, I've got to sign a few things, finish some paperwork. See you all later," Dick smiled, turning and walking from the cemetery. Harley giggled, her legs draped over his arm and her arms around his neck.

"I suddenly remembered I have a headstone," she told him, amused by the thought. Dick bit his lip and looked down.

"Yeah, I spent most of my time there," he smiled a little.

"And happiness ruined," Harley muttered, mentally kicking herself for bringing it up. "I'm sorry." She touched his cheek with one of her hands.

"No, Harles it's okay," he laughed. "I know you did what you had to do. Happiness is _not _ruined. Know why?"

"Why?" she asked, smiling with him.

"Because we're going to the circus."


	39. He Was Always Robin

_**To the circus.**_

_**After visiting Dick's parents and his brother at the cemetery, Harley felt at peace. And Dick felt that it was about time that she met the rest of his family. Taking her to the permanent Haly's Circus tent, a place for the performers to rest between traveling shows, Dick introduces her to the world that- before Batman- molded him.**_

_**But nothing can be blissfully peaceful for very long, it seems. Harley meets the performers, and along her tour she discovers a few unsettling things; the truth about Dick's past, an eerie warning from a gypsy fortune teller, and a dark motive beneath the circus, burning the safety net to the ground. **_

Dick pulled back the tent flap of the enormous Haly's Circus tent, ushering Harley through with his hand on the small of her back. Her eyes had to adjust to the dark surroundings, the three rings lit with strings of lights draped between the massive support poles. People bustled about, leading animals or working with equipment for a wide array of acts. Dick grinned.

"I'm behind the scenes of the circus," Harley giggled. "Don't people have to pay money to see this sort of thing?"

"Actually, yeah," Dick smiled, holding her hand. He began walking toward the back of the tent, when a man suddenly cried out joyfully behind them.

"Robin!"

Dick turned curiously and smiled broadly when he saw the man in a clown suit approaching them. He shook his hand. "Toby! Wow, it's been years. You're spending some time in Gotham, eh?"

"Yup, thought I'd take some time from the traveling show. It's good to see ya, Robin! Who's this little lady?" he cocked his head, looking at Harley where she was half hiding behind Dick's shoulder. She squeezed Dick's hand in a panic.

"This is- oh." He bit his lip and turned a bit. "It's okay Harles." He stroked her cheek. "It's okay. Take a deep breath." He put his arm over her shoulders protectively. "This is Harley."

"And she's your girlfriend?" Toby smiled and shook her hand. Harley pushed down the panic in her chest; even without clown makeup on, the man still reminded her of the Joker.

"The love of my life," Dick smiled. "Sorry, Toby, she's a little scared of clowns."

"Happens all the time," Toby waved his hand dismissively. Dick turned and pushed Harley's hair away from her face, stroking her cheek.

"Hey are you okay? Can you go with Toby? He can show you around and introduce you to everyone. I understand if you don't want to, Harles. You can stay with me." He smiled reassuringly, that stupid, warm, handsome smile of his. Harley shook her head, hating feeling like a scared little child. But she was scared.

"No, I'm okay," she breathed, glancing nervously at Toby. He smiled hopefully.

"Okay. You can do it, Harles," Dick grinned, and then looked at Toby. "Take care of her for me." He kissed her cheek and began walking towards the back of the tent where the stables and main offices were. Toby put his hands on his hips.

"Lotsa people is scared a clowns," he elbowed her. "Say, aintcha the girl from the news? The hero one? Y'all were with Robin and his friends at that whole League a Justice thing."

Harley blinked. "You know that Dick is-"

"Yeah, we all do." Toby rolled his eyes. "The boy makes it all too obvious, course, he was _always _Robin ta us. Then his parents got killed and he moved in with that _Wayne _fella, even though we coulda taken care a him in my opinion, and then a while later the Bat's got a new kid about Robin's age with the same name. Then that Robin turns into Nightwing. He still can't keep that idiotic grin offa his face, and he never shuts up." Toby laughed, leading her towards the center ring. Harley was suddenly reminded of her and Dick's first date, when they'd soared through the tent together.

"If you don't mind me asking, what really happened with his parents? You said they were _killed._ I thought it was an accident?"

"Yeah, thats what the news says," Toby replied, quickly yanking her back as a man walked by with a ladder and nearly took Harley's head off when he turned. "John an' Mary Grayson was the best damn acrobats I's ever saw. They was incredible. Well that was a darker time, see, and the ringmaster an' owner a the circus was bein' threatened by the mafia in Gotham, Fella named Tony Zucco. They tried ta get him ta pay protection money, or somethin' long those lines. When the ringmaster said no, well the mob sabotaged the trapeze lines an' killed his parents an' his brother as a example. He woulda been killed too, but he'd already got up on the platform. Saw it happen, though."

"That's awful," Harley said softly, unable to imagine what it would have been like.

"Circus never pay in," another man suddenly said with a heavy Russian accent, and Harley jumped. The man was nearly seven feet tall and wide as a semi-truck, his heavily muscled torso covered with the largest t-shirt that Harley had ever seen. Toby laughed.

"Ms. Harley, this is Vlad the Strongman."

"Circus never pay in," he repeated, bending over to look at her. "Tiny girl new recruit, yes?"

"No, Ms. Harley is Robin's girl. I's just showin' her round the place."

"Robin's back!?" A short woman with a long brown braid and a pink leotard approached them, holding out her hand. "Ms. Harley is it? I'm Yvette. Nice to meet you, any friend of Robin is a friend of ours," she grinned broadly.

"It's just Harley," Harley mumbled, shying away from the attention suddenly on her as several more performers approached her. "Are you an acrobat?"

"Don't be silly," Yvette laughed, a hand resting on her bony hip. "I ride the horses." She gestured to several massive black Clydesdales in the far ring.

"Did I hear something about Robin?" Another voice piped up, a scarred looking man hardly in his thirties with a whip at his belt. Some sort of animal trainer. As Harley looked around and was introduced to people, she couldn't help but smile at how readily accepted she was. A small crowd had gathered and she was told each name and occupation; Maren and Mai, beautiful Indian contortionist twins, who were each under five foot four. A handsome man named Konrad, with dark flowing hair and one glass eye; an escapist magician. Benitri, a foul-mouthed acrobat and his four younger brothers came to see what the commotion was about; introducing themselves as Victor, Dorian, Emmett, and Tulio. Each brother looked like an almost exact copy of the eldest, with messy blonde hair and freckles.

"This a new performer?" A clown walked up behind Harley, and she jumped, landing on Vlad's foot. His face was painted white with red circles on each cheek and a red nose.

"Back up a little Sam, she's afraid of clowns," Toby told him.

"Why she joinin' if she's afraid of clowns?" Sam scoffed, taking his foam nose off. Harley watched him warily over Toby's shoulder, her heart still racing.

"She's not joinin'," Toby told him. Everyone was still staring at Harley, so she felt the need to explain a little.

"I dated a clown once," she admitted. "He pushed me out a window… and stabbed me."

"Well that's what most kids think'll happen to 'em when I walk up, so I guess that makes sense."

"I know normal clowns aren't going to hurt me," she told herself, breathing in through her nose. "Just need to work through some issues I guess." Harley smiled weakly.

"She's the girl from the news!" Tulio cried, and his brother hit his arm. "The sexy one in the red and black," he laughed.

"Yeah, I guess it's also worth noting the clown I dated was the Joker," Harley mumbled, her cheeks bright crimson.

"Yeah we know," Maren shrugged, smiling a little. "Musta been one hell of a relationship. Robin'll be good for you then."

"He has been good for me," Harley corrected. She didn't know why it was so easy to open up to these strangers. Mai nodded.

"Yeah he was like that when we were kids," she replied. "Want a tour? You seem like an ok gal."

"Thanks, and I'd love one," Harley agreed. "I haven't seen much besides the center ring."

As Mai, Tulio and Toby led her out of the circus tent to the ramshackle town made up of individual tents and trailers behind it, Harley couldn't help but feel happy at how readily they'd accepted her. And she had to admit, she didn't mind being introduced to people as 'Robin's girl' either. The performers all lived together in their makeshift city, with children running from tent to tent. The smell of barbecuing meat and popcorn and caramel seemed to hang in the air. Stables and a barn stood at the other end of the encampment, and Harley could hear tigers roaring and elephants trumpeting from their pens. Mai introduced her to many of the performers, and let her pet the animals. It was like seeing an entirely different world.

"That's most of it," Tulio sighed as they began walking towards the performance tent. "Wait!" He suddenly exclaimed, taking her hand and tugging her towards a trailer. "You haven't met Madame Astrid."

"Who's Madame…" Harley trailed off, the trailer door opened and an elderly woman stood in the doorway.

"I am," she barked, five feet tall at most and round as a barrel.

"Hey Madame Astr-"

"-don't flatter me boy. Get your arse over here and help me." She snapped at Tulio, and he dutifully went to her side to help her down the steps as she hefted her skirt up. She hobbled to Harley and her gray eyes narrowed. "You're _Robin's_ new interest, aren't you? You've got his stink all over ya. What happened to that other one?" She whirled on Mai.

"What one, Astrid?" she asked helpfully.

"That scarlet-haired trollop that he used to run around with," she mumbled, squinting up at Harley again. "I like this one more."

"You know if you would wait, I could actually introduce myself," Harley told the old woman, pursing her lips as she looked down at her. "And if you like me more than Barbara, I'm afraid I'm not impressed with your standards."

"Ain't my standards, girl, don't sass me. She was a high-n-mighty thing, an' she didn't treat that baby bird right. In _my _opinion. Any girl from Brooklyn is a girl to trust, even the Joker knew that. Come on, girl, I don't got all day." She hefted her skirts up to her knees and hobbled back up the stairs into her trailer. Mai pushed Harley forward.

"My motto usually involves not going into dark places with strangers," Harley muttered, reluctantly starting up the steps.

"Yes, because the fat four foot eleven fortune teller is gonna jump you and take your kidneys," Madame Astrid laughed heartily, turning on the lights. Taking a kettle off of the stove, she walked past Harley again to get mugs out of a cabinet, shoving her down on a couch. She handed her a cup of tea. "Caffeine free, sweetheart. Drink up."

"In my experience, the ones that look the most non threatening are the ones you have to watch out for." She took a sip of the tea. "Thank you."

"Can't be pumpin caffeine into a Grayson, that'd be a disaster," she mumbled, dropping into a chair that seemed far too small for her.

"I've found laughing at his jokes to be a bigger disaster than coffee," Harley laughed, cradling the cup in her hands. Madame Astrid stared at her for a moment and then burst into laughter again.

"Yeah, there's a reason that kid was an acrobat and not a clown. The _ego _on that boy." She shook her head.

"So you knew him when he was younger then?" Harley asked.

"I raised his father, and I raised him," she nodded, pouring herself another cup of tea.

"Well then you did a splendid job." Harley raised the cup to her lips. "I mean, a few minor issues, but on the whole…" She smiled.

"Issues!? Don't you act like you had the most perfect kiddie-life in the room. What are you going to do when Robin wants to meet _your_ family? He's a hugger. Just do me a favor and make sure your brother don't stab him." Madame Astrid grumbled, standing up and pulling a box of vanilla wafers out of a cabinet. "Here feed yourself."

"I'm not sure if you're stalking me," Harley watched her but obediently took a cookie. "But if you have, then you know my brother would be too drunk and it's my mother he has to watch out for."

"He'll handle your momma, Sweetheart. I'm a fortune teller, it's what I do."

"Are you? Because I haven't heard much future telling. More judgement and snarky comments."

"I'm off duty. Nobody gets a free reading." She narrowed her eyes, but she smiled a little. "But I think Tulio wants you to try something." As if on cue, there was a knock at the door.

"Well I didn't bring any money, but can you at least tell me if this is going to be something I'll hate?" Harley asked hopefully with a smile, setting her tea cup aside.

"Oh I think you'll like it. You liked it the first time but Robin was a distraction. Most girls think he is. Gotta watch out for that and-" she caught Harley's hand- "be careful. I'm not just talking about this stupid stunt they're about to pull. Things are going to get worse, and you'll have to hold onto him if you don't want to get pulled away." The door opened.

"What?" Harley asked, turning back to the fortuneteller as Tulio peeked into the trailer.

"Just be careful," she pressed. Tulio tugged on her hand.

"Come on, we got something to show you."

"But…" Madame Astrid had moved to the kitchen in the trailer, humming to herself.

"Don't hang about in my trailer, boy," she snapped at Tulio. "Hurry along." He gestured for Harley to follow, and she reluctantly left. Tulio tugged her back toward the main tent.

"Well, I have to practice but I thought _maybe _you could have some fun too," he pulled her to the base of the long ladder to the tightrope platform. He grinned. "You wanna try? I can help you!" Harley smiled up at the tightrope, excitement filling her.

"Thanks, but I don't need any help." She slid off her shoes and climbed up the ladder.

"Robin'll kill me if you hurt yourself," Tulio called up to her, running to the side of the net. Harley laughed as she stepped onto the wire, walking confidently out a few steps.

"Hey! You're pretty good, Ms. Harley!" Toby shouted up to her. Harley wobbled a bit and then suddenly remembered the string wrapped around her finger and tied in a knot. The safety net. She smiled and kept her balance to cheers from below.

"Sorry. It's been a while," Harley smiled down at the growing crowd below. She walked out a little over halfway along the wire. Not wanting it to be over, she turned carefully around and started walking slowly back the other way, a smile plastered on her face.

"Toby! Where's Harley?" Dick's voice came from below her. "What are you all staring at- _Harley!_" his voice changed to panic as he spotted her on the tightrope. "Oh God please don't fall! Tulio you little son of a-" he ran both his hands through his hair nervously, biting his lip as he watched her.

"Dick," Harley sighed, debating crossing her arms but deciding against it. "You don't have to freak out."

"Yeah, uh-huh, so come down so I can stop freaking out!" he shouted back.

"Why?" she whined a little, spinning on one foot to face the other way again. "There's a net below me and everything."

"You know damn well why!" he cried, his hands still in his hair as he watched her. His heart had nearly stopped when she spun. "Please just come down!"

"So what I'm hearing is you want me to jump?" Harley leaned forward a little.

"No!" he practically screamed, grabbing the net in a panic. The other performers watched him curiously, not quite sure why he was so upset. Harley rebalanced herself, trying not to smile. She knew he was genuinely upset, but was enjoying this too much to give it up just yet.

"Come on. This is even tame for me." She took a step forward. "I could go across on my hands," she offered. Dick bit his lip, staring up at her with his hands white-knuckled on the support cable of the net.

"Please don't," he called weakly.

"I'm supposed to stay just as active," she reminded him. "You can't deny it; I know you've been reading."

"Falling could hurt you or the baby!" he snapped back. "Get down or I'm coming to get you, damn it!"

"Wait!" Vlad called, clapping Dick on the shoulder. "There is a little Robin?"

"I love babies!" Mai cried. Everyone congratulated them, but Dick was too tense to take his eyes off of Harley.

"Alright," Harley grumbled, heading toward the platform. "This is me getting off." After a few more steps, she mumbled, "Party pooper."

Dick's shoulders relaxed and he rubbed his face, turning towards the rest of the crowd gathered. "What were you saying?"

"You know your mother still did acrobatics for a while when she was pregnant with you," Garrett told him.

"See?" Harley said, sliding down the rest of the ladder. "You're being unreasonable."

"I'm being perfectly reasonable," he breathed, fully relaxing once her feet were back on solid ground. "Don't scare me like that."

She rolled her eyes. "I've done far worse with no net."

"Well that scares me too," he added.

"And you used to say I worried too much." She walked to his side and took his hand, squeezing it gently. Dick smiled at her.

"I worry exactly the right amount," he replied.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Harley pressed.

"I was going over some files with Matt, the manager I hired," Dick told her, pulling her along. He wasn't going to leave her by herself out here again.

"Stupid weasel man," Vlad muttered to himself as they walked past.

"Who?" Harley asked, instantly pausing. "Matt?" Dick stopped with her.

"What do you mean, Vlad?" he asked curiously.

"That man does not care for the circus," Vlad simply said, turning away.

"He quarantined tent two for himself," Toby told them. "Maybe you should go see it for yourself." Everyone around them dissipated out, leaving Dick and Harley standing there.

"This does not seem good," Harley whispered in the suddenly silent tent. Dick's other hand clenched, and he walked back toward the offices, just behind the main tent. Without knocking, he strode into Matt's office, stopping in front of his desk with his hand still in Harley's.

"Why can't the performers go into tent two?" he demanded, cocking his head a bit. "I'm sure there's a _perfectly_ logical explanation, so I came to you first before going to see for myself."

"What?" Matt jumped up. "Oh… um… yes…" he squeaked. "There's a um… an…"

"Lie to me, and you won't just lose your job," Dick snapped. "What are you using it for?"

"It's just shipments!" he cried, his eyes darting around his office.

"I think I'll go take a look," Dick said decidedly, still holding Harley's hand as he walked out of the office and towards the tent.

"No, no wait!" Matt called, scrambling after them.

"What is it, Matt? Any supplies are paid for by _me_, and I tell the performers to tell me directly when they need something. Shipments of _what_. You better say animal feed," he hissed, turning around and glaring at him. "The truth from your lips, or I'll find it for myself."

"It's just... just shipments," Matt stammered. "Supplies! That's all." He swallowed. Reaching for Harley's arm to guide them back to his office, he said, "The two of you don't need-"

Dick's hand shot out and caught his wrist, twisting it behind his back as he forced him to his knees. "Don't touch her," Dick hissed. "I'm going to ask you one more time, and then I'll pop your arm out of socket. Shipments. Of. What?"

"Dick," Harley said, worried where this was going. "You need to calm down." She put a hand on his arm.

"Harley, don't," he warned. "Come on Matt, easy way is where you don't get your arm broken."

"I don't know!" Matt cried, cowering away. "I don't know!"

"Why don't you know? Who's shipments are they?" Dick asked patiently.

"It's… they…" He looked around for a way out. "I just… take the money… and…"

"From _who!?_" Dick shouted, putting pressure on Matt's twisted arm. He cried out. "Have you been taking money from the mobs!?" Matt stared up at him, his eyes widening in fear. Dick's jaw clenched and he immediately thrust down on Matt's arm, and there was a snap as it disconnected from his shoulder. "You dirty son of a bitch!" Dick shouted, letting Matt fall to the ground and kicking him in the stomach. "Do you have any idea the danger that puts _everyone _in?!" Another kick landed on Matt's abdomen as he cried out in pain.

"Dick!" Harley cried, stepping in front of him and holding his arms. "Stop." He breathed hard, his jaw pushed forward in anger.

"It's scumbags like him that got my parents killed! He could've gotten someone hurt, or worse!" Dick shouted, glaring hatefully at him over Harley's shoulder.

"Don't stoop to his level," Harley whispered, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her. "I know how much this must hurt, but don't do something you'll hate yourself for later."

"I would hate myself for killing him. I'd applaud myself for beating him senseless and dumping his ass at the police station," he replied, but his eyes softened a bit at her touch.

"Then you get thrown in jail too. Would you applaud yourself for that?"

"Batman gets away with worse," he turned and walked away. "Make sure he doesn't try anything stupid, and I'll call the police to come pick him up," Dick muttered to Vlad as he walked past with Harley trailing behind him.


	40. Good For Each Other Now

_**It's time to get back out there.**_

_**Back in the streets of Gotham. The circus had upset him, possibly more than he let Harley know, and Dick just needed to blow off some steam. When he arrived at the Batcave to report for duty, he never could have imagined the outcome.**_

_**Bruce did say that he wanted to talk to Dick. Now, in light of all the recent developments, it became a necessity. Tensions arise between father and son, and the result isn't likely to be a pretty one.**_

After the mess at the circus, Dick took Harley back to his apartment. They had a nice dinner and she managed to cheer him up, until the two of them were laughing and talking at the table. She was dreading sundown. She knew he was going to go out as Nightwing, like he did every night, and she didn't want him to. Of course she worried about him, but she also missed him and was bored out of her mind left alone in his little apartment. He stayed with her as long as he could, and her worry increased when, at eleven o'clock at night, he put his mask on and kissed her head. "Don't stay up and wait for me, Sweetheart," he'd whispered, and then he'd disappeared into the night and left her alone.

When Nightwing finally pulled his bike to a stop in the Batcave, he turned it off and dismounted, his footsteps echoing in the silent cave. The only light was thrown from the computers, where Batman sat with Robin dangling off of a pull-up bar a few yards away.

"You're late," Batman said flatly.

"I was with Harles," Nightwing said cheerily, but then he stopped short as Batman stood up so fast his chair slid back. "Sorry?" He added uncertainly, his hands up in front of his chest as he took a step back. Robin landed on the ground and leaned against the cave wall, crossing his arms and smirking.

"Damian," Batman growled, "will you go see if Tim is in the house?"

"But he left for Jump City," Robin reminded him.

"Now," Batman demanded. Robin glanced between him and Nightwing, before stiffly heading for the stairs. Nightwing took another step back.

"You haven't checked in _once_," Batman hissed.

"I-" Dick cocked his head. "Did I need to?"

"You should have," Batman snapped. "You just took off and left no indication if you were even going to be here today. What if I had needed you?"

"Well I did just upgrade my iPhone," Dick said coolly, planting a hand on his hip.

"This isn't a laughing matter. What if Damian or I were hurt?"

"Please. Like you have _ever _called for help at the moment of injury. You wait like a month until you're about to die, and _then _you tell someone. And if Damian was hurt, I'm sure you'd lock him in his cupboard under the stairs again," Nightwing waved a hand dismissively.

"And we wouldn't have known if you were in danger," Batman pressed on.

"Harley would've called you," he said, and then thought for a moment before smiling blissfully at the mention of her.

"Or if the _both_ of you were in danger," Batman added, glaring at him. Nightwing's eyes narrowed behind his mask.

"I would've been fine. I can handle myself, Bruce."

"She won't be able to defend herself for very long," he reminded Nightwing. "You say you care, but you aren't acting like it."

Nightwing's jaw clenched. "Gee, I'm _not _acting like that, am I? I shouldn't leave her alone at home," he snapped as he turned to walk back to his bike. "Have a good night on patrol, Bruce."

"So you're going to sit out for the rest of her pregnancy?" Batman demanded.

"You know what, Bruce? Fuck you." Nightwing whirled around angrily. "I was having a perfectly pleasant evening after a mostly pleasant day. I came here to help, but if all you're going to do is insult me and every decision I make, like you did when I was Robin, then I'll take the courage now to say something that I couldn't when I was eleven. Go fuck yourself."

"I'm not the one who has had problems recently because of, as you so crassly put it, 'fucking'," Batman snapped back.

"Oh is _that _what this is about?!" Nightwing laughed incredulously. "This is ridiculous, Bruce. Yeah, I made a mistake. But I don't mind."

"This isn't a _mistake_, Dick," he retorted, "this is the rest of your life."

"Good!" Dick snapped right back. "Maybe this is what I wanted!"

"You're twenty four! And you barely even know anything about her."

"Oh what do you want, Bruce, do you want me to say you told me so? Well you did. And maybe the timing isn't right, but I have to work with what I've got. What do you want me to _do _about it!?" Nightwing spread his arms. "When Talia dumped Damian on your lap did you even _consider_ just abandoning him? Well I'm not going to, either."

"I'm not saying you should," Batman snapped. "I'm saying there are plenty of options here that _don't_ involve proposing to this girl you barely know." He continued on. "_And_ what we do know isn't that great."

"What _you _know. What do we know about Selina? Jewel thief, tried to kill you a few times, she's teamed up with the Riddler," Nightwing counted off on his fingers. "She's hurt us and done a lot of the same things Harley has, I'm _pretty _sure she stole the watch that Tim gave me- I can do this all night. Harley fits in in this family more than you're letting yourself see. We all readily accepted Selina, we still love Jason. I trust Harley. You don't trust my judgement at all, do you?"

"No. Not when you go around proposing to people you barely know I don't." Batman crossed his arms.

"People _you_ barely know. Just because you don't trust her doesn't mean I don't." Nightwing glared at him.

"What do you really know about her, Dick? You two hardly dated, and then she died. You can't just ask her to marry you because you think she's going to disappear again!"

"I asked her to marry me because I love her, Bruce!" Nightwing shouted. "And if it makes you feel any better, she turned me down."

"It doesn't make me happy, but I think it's the right thing. You think you love her now."

"Bruce, what is this?" Nightwing ran a hand through his hair. "Is it because I'm young? Is it because of who she is, of who I am? I remember you being perfectly happy when I asked you if I should propose to Barbara."

"Because that's what you should have done. Now? Now I say you're what's best for Harley and she for you," Bruce admitted, "but that proposing is the wrong answer. You two are good for each other _now_."

"You keep saying _now_ like I can't handle a relationship like this!" Nightwing cried, his fists clenching. "I would _never _leave her."

"It's not that you can't handle it, it's that you may decide it isn't what you really wanted."

"I can't see myself with anyone but her!" Nightwing shouted.

"And you couldn't see yourself with anyone but Barbara!" Batman reminded him.

"Okay, fine! You've made your point!" he retorted, his hands shaking. "Why do you have to be like this? Why can't I just be happy, make my own mistakes? I don't _understand _why this is such a problem. I don't _understand _why you can't just let me be happy!" Nightwing's voice had risen until it echoed in the cave, drenching them in silence when he'd fallen silent. Batman stood in the silence for a moment.

"Because," he said gently, "I don't want what makes you happy now to crush you later."

"Why do you have to try to save me from pain in the future by hurting me now?" Nightwing spat, taking another step back toward his motorcycle.

"I'd rather you hate me now then be broken later. I've let that happen to you enough."

"She won't hurt me," he said defiantly.

"I'm not saying she hasn't changed," Batman agreed. "But this romance may not be everything you hope it will be."

"You think I don't know that!?" Nightwing stepped closer to Batman, but controlled himself. "I've put up with your bullshit since I was eleven years old. Being with Harley may not be easy, but it's a hell of a lot better off than this relationship is," he gestured furiously between himself and Batman.

"You said something like that to me before," Batman commented. "I didn't see you for a long time after that."

"Do you think I'm the one that wanted to leave? Do you not see me here, all the time, trying to keep us together, _all _of us?! Stop driving me away, and I won't leave!" Dick's anger and pain and confusion at Batman's words only escalated with the relaxed way that he'd said them. "You're a stubborn asshole, so is Damian, Jason is completely screwed up, at least Tim visits from time to time, but- Bruce I try. Even when you're like _this,_ telling me everything I do is wrong and how to live my life and making it sound like everything I do will fail so I shouldn't even try- I will stay! But you're _insufferable!_" Dick tugged his mask off, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Maybe asking her to marry me was a mistake, but you know what? I'm going to do it again. I already chose a ring."

"Dick-" Batman started, but Dick hadn't finished.

"-Maybe fighting so hard for her was a mistake, but I'd do it again. Hell, I'm fighting you for her right now!" He laughed desperately.

"Dick, I-"

"-Maybe becoming _Robin_ was a mistake!" Dick shouted, throwing his mask at Batman. He caught it in his hands in surprise. "But I'm still going to go out there tonight, and stick my neck out for Gotham- for _you_- because it's what I was raised to do!"

"Dick, if you'd just-"

"-they're mistakes I will never, _ever _regret making! You keep saying I don't know anything about her. I know that she's saved my life more than once. She pushed everyone she loved away so they wouldn't get hurt as she risked her life to do the right thing- sound like someone I know, Bruce?! She gave up everything she knew to help us, and she hasn't once looked back. And I'm not going to, either. I don't regret a single decision I made with Harley, except not telling her what I should have when I found out who she was!"

Batman's ears rang in the silence as he blinked in surprise, watching Dick standing a few feet away, panting slightly from his outburst. His cheeks burned with anger as red as the emblem across his chest and he clenched his jaw shut.

"I can see you feel strongly about his," Batman said, backing down. "And I am sorry you view being Robin as a mistake. I am quite proud of it because it made you the man you are today."

"Bruce, I… I didn't really mean it like that. Obviously you're the best thing that ever happened to me." Dick looked down, running a hand through his hair. "And I know you're just trying to protect me, because you know better and I don't. But you don't have to save me from everything."

"And can you imagine how much that scares me?" he sighed, pushing back his cowl. "I have seen you stabbed and shot, on the floor bleeding, and I thought I couldn't do anything to save you."

"And I've seen you busted up and dying, and I didn't say a word. It was never my place. I know you have the right as my father, but…" Dick laughed in exasperation. "You've warned me. I acknowledge your warning, and I respect it like I respect you. I just disagree, and there's not much else you can do short of forcing me, and that will never happen."

"You know, when that baby is born, this conversation is going to go a lot differently," Bruce told him.

"I'm sure it will," Dick smiled a little.

"Also, you missed a couple mistakes," Bruce smirked. "There was that car crash."

"Please, like you haven't totaled three," he replied, smiling a bit broader.

"There was also that building that blew up."

"Just following in your footsteps."

"Ha," Bruce laughed. "Say that when you have your own Nightwing symbol."

Dick laughed, running his hand through his hair. He smiled tiredly. "I'm sorry, Bruce."

"Me too, but can we both at least agree that you maybe shouldn't have asked her to marry you?" he pried.

Dick sighed heavily. "Let's not argue it again, but no. I don't agree. I meant it when I said I plan to do it again, and I do have a ring picked out," he looked at Bruce, his head slightly bent down like a child afraid of being punished. "I'm more sure of this than I was with Babs. Harley is… she's perfect, Bruce. There's no woman I love more, and I'm glad she's the mother of our child."

Bruce looked down and shook his head, growing weary of trying to convince him. "Go home," he said simply.

"What? I thought-"

"No, Dick, it's alright. Damian and I can handle patrol tonight, it's been quiet lately. Just go home." Bruce cut him off. Dick searched his face suspiciously, convinced that this must be a trick, or Bruce must be angry. "You're tired, and we can handle it," Bruce urged.

"Alright," Dick shrugged uneasily, still squinting at Bruce. "You're sure?"

"Yes. Go."

"Thank you." Dick took his mask and went to his motorcycle. Before he started the engine, Bruce caught his arm.

"Think about what you do, Dick. Think very carefully, and remember what I told you," he warned. Nightwing nodded.

"I will."

"Think about it."

"I will, Bruce."

"Actually get some sleep when you get home, too."

"Yep…"

"Drive carefully."

"I _will_," Nightwing smiled a bit, starting the engine as Bruce backed away.

"I mean it!" he shouted.

Nightwing laughed as he tore out of the Batcave and back towards Gotham, the wind whipping his raven hair around his head. When he finally arrived back at his apartment he slipped in through the living room window, and was startled to see Harley in the recliner, almost asleep with one of the pregnancy books in her lap. When she spotted him she stood up, the book falling to the floor and her arms lacing around his neck.

"I thought I told you to get some sleep and not wait up for me," Nightwing laughed, holding her tight. He pressed his nose to her hair and closed his eyes, taking in the faint smell of her rosy perfume.

"What happened? Why are you back?" Harley asked, looking at his eyes hidden by the lenses of his mask. Her thumb traced along his hairline at his neck.

"Bruce and I had an argument, it was resolved, and he sent me home. He didn't need me in the field, and he knew that there was somewhere I'd rather be," Nightwing smiled, his voice soft.

"What was the argument about?" she asked, she couldn't read his expressions behind the mask.

"It was nothing, Harles," he smiled again, kissing her slowly. Harley softly responded before smiling.

"Uh huh, I'm sure it was nothing." She gave him another quick kiss before leaning back. "I would say that there is an entire cheesecake left over from last night, but unfortunately I remembered there was an entire cheesecake left over from last night." Nightwing laughed, grinning at her.

"Well it is late, and this _is _an opportunity for me to actually get some sleep," he smiled again, stroking her cheek.

"It is," she agreed, smiling at his touch. "Also another great one for me to get scolded about getting some sleep." She smirked as she gave him another kiss.

Nightwing pinched his eyes shut behind his mask, savoring every millisecond of her kiss. He didn't care what Bruce said. She was perfect. "Or-" he mumbled, his lips barely parting from hers to speak- "we could lose a few hours of sleep together."

"Am I going to get in trouble?" she asked, standing on tiptoe to move her lips into a better position.

Nightwing lifted her up onto his toes, smiling against her lips with his arms around her waist. "Only if you're _really _lucky," he whispered, kissing the corner of her mouth.

"Is that so?" she asked, her face tilted up to his. One of her hands was still in his hairline as the other held onto his arm that was wrapped around her. "I've never been terribly lucky, so does that mean I'm getting sent to bed?"

"Oh you've got a lot more to answer for than just staying up past bedtime," Nightwing smirked, his lips brushing hers as he did.

"Well you were out past curfew," Harley murmured, pulling her body closer to his.

"And you're a wanted criminal. Does that make us even?" he laughed, kissing her cheek.

"I don't know, I thought having a bad side was a bonus." Her second hand slid to the back of his neck, pulling their faces together.

Nightwing bit his lip, smiling as his arms wound tighter around her waist. "Not when it's my civic duty as a policeman and as a self-appointed vigilante to turn you in."

"Well then cuff me officer." Harley put both of her hands on his chest.

"Harley Quinn- you are under arrest, in the name of justice and the Gotham City Police Department. You have the right to remain silent," he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, giggling as she pressed her forehead to his. Nightwing laughed. "Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law, you have the right to an attorney, if you can't afford one-" he kissed her between every few words- "one will be- appointed to you-" Kissing her hard, one hand held her up and the other cradled her face. He broke away, grinning, and her lips chased his. "_Do you_ understand these rights as they have been given to you?" Nightwing smiled, biting his lip and smirking mischievously.

"I don't think I do," she sighed, grinning. "Maybe say it back to me slower this time," she whispered near his ear as she unzipped the back of his uniform.

"Harley Quinn, you are under arrest," Nightwing whispered slowly, his low voice sending a chill down her spine. "You have the right to remain silent," his gloved hands slid under her shirt, tracing her sides as he pulled the fabric over her head, "Anything you say or do will be used against you in a court of law-" Nightwing pulled her against his chest, kissing over her shoulder and up her neck, his lips soft and deliberate- "You have the right to an attorney." His thumbs hooked in her jeans at the base of her spine as he held her up. "If you can't afford one, one will be appointed to you," he bit her ear gently, "do you understand your rights as I have given them to you?" Nightwing's voice was a whisper against her ear, and she could feel him grinning.

"From what I understand," Harley said, kissing the hollow of his throat and up his neck. "I'm going to need a really good lawyer." She kissed his ear, one hand hooked around his back to hold herself in place and the other holding his jaw.

Nightwing leaned his head back, inviting her lips to his neck again as he bit his lip, holding back a moan. "Harley…" he trailed off, his eyes closed behind his mask. His lips parted in his familiar, stupid grin again. Harley abandoned his neck to kiss his smile. When his lips responded, she pulled her face away.

"Don't tell me I've corrupted you officer," she smirked, kissing down his shoulder.

Nightwing moaned softly, a smile spreading across his face as the cold metal of a handcuff closed around her wrist at his back. She hadn't even noticed him move his hand, let alone reach the pocket at his hip. She looked at his sly smile, chuckling softly.

"Damn," she muttered. "Well," she put her lips tantalizingly close to his, "if I can't sway you, I guess you'll have to take me into custody."

Nightwing lifted her arms up, cuffing her hands together draped over his shoulders, and he suddenly kissed her fiercely. He allowed the kiss to taper off before looking over her shoulder and carrying her into the bedroom.


	41. Wonderful

_**It's his choice. **_

_**Bruce's words did get through to Dick, despite what his mentor may think. It just simply isn't his father's choice. Their fight had ended poorly, but when Dick had arrived home, none of that had mattered. He's never been more sure of something.**_

_**In fact, not a word he said was a lie or a bluff. Dick takes Harley out shopping, and in the least conventional way possible- a house is a difficult thing to choose. But he's a decisive man, and once he's made his mind up, it's made up. **_

Dick gasped suddenly, his head jerking to the side as if he'd been punched; his eyes flew open. He inhaled shakily, seeing the sliver of light coming through the barely parted curtains in the bedroom and feeling the breathing beside him. The nightmare instantly dissolved into the calm surrounding him, Harley's legs tangled with his as she used his shoulder for a pillow, her arm draped lightly over his bare chest. Her hand tucked under his head lightly, slender fingers sifting through his dark hair. Dick turned his head slightly so he could kiss the top of her head as he took her hand by his head, and he placed them both on his chest. "I love you," he whispered against her hair and closed his eyes.

Harley stirred at his voice, shifting around slightly and blinking her eyes open. She groaned at the light and attempted to bury her face in his arm. "Please tell me it isn't morning yet."

"It isn't morning yet," he smirked, squeezing her close.

"Good," she sighed. "Then tell the moon to go back to bed."

Dick laughed softly, reaching down over the side of the bed for his Nightwing costume. He pulled a wingding out of the pocket and flicked his wrist, expertly launching it at the top of the curtains and pulling the gap closed, shrouding the room in darkness once again. "Better?"

"Like magic," she mumbled. "Are you my fairy godmother?" Harley kept her face buried.

"Better," he smiled, pulling her face out of his arm as he lifted her onto his chest. "I'm your guardian angel."

"Oh, good. So much better than prince charming," she complimented him, giving him a quick kiss. Dick smiled.

"Do you have plans for today?" His hand came up to smooth her hair away from her face.

"Let me just check my pocket calendar," she teased.

"So you're free?" he kissed her nose, laughing. "I thought we might go look at houses and then… have dinner with your family," he smiled hopefully. Harley froze, her body tensing.

"I don't think I have room in my schedule for that."

"Come on Harles, please. I already called, and your brother said he'd be glad to set everything up, all we have to do is show up," he smiled hopefully at her again, squeezing her hand. "I'll be with you."

"You do realize when he says he'll have everything set up, he means he'll be set up drunk on the couch right?"

"Oh come on, nobody's that bad," Dick rolled his eyes. "_Please_ Harley?" he looked at her, begging like a dog. "I promise if things get bad we'll leave, no questions asked."

"Can we just not bother going then?" She dropped her forehead on his chest. He laughed in exasperation.

"Just do me this one favor, and I'll never make you see them again," Dick smiled, running a hand through her soft blonde hair. "Except maybe at the wedding. This means a lot to me, Harley."

"Fine," she reluctantly caved; she couldn't say no. Dick cried out in delight and kissed her gently, his eyes shining as he pulled back.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Harley." He cupped a hand under her chin, tracing a thumb along her jaw.

"Don't look so chipper about it," she mumbled, rolling her eyes. She couldn't keep the smile completely off her face.

"I am. Everything is great right now. I get to meet your family, I have a good job, a good family of my own, I picked out a ring for the girl of my dreams, I have some great houses for us to look at…" he trailed off, smiling happily as he rolled her off of himself and then tucked the blankets tightly around her.

"You can't just tell me you got a ring," Harley whined. "That's not how it works."

"I didn't get one," he grinned. "I said I _picked _one. I didn't buy it. Not yet." He grinned, wrapping her tighter in the blankets. "And I should point out, if you didn't like my last proposals, you will _love _the real one. No way am I going small-scale anymore, not with you turning me down every time."

"Okay, first off," Harley objected, lifting her head up, "you technically only asked once. And second, I never said 'go big', or anything like that."

"Well that's what you're going to get." Dick sat defiantly on the bed. "So suck it."

"It's hard to argue with you when I'm trapped in a blanket cocoon. I don't think I could move if I wanted to."

"Good. Maybe if I just keep you wrapped up here you won't pull a stunt like you did at the circus," Dick looked at her pointedly. "Don't think I've forgotten."

"I'm not allowed to have any fun anymore," she whined.

"You can have fun, just not suicidal fun. I know I'm being unreasonable, and I know that wasn't really that dangerous for you, but any accident could turn into a problem," Dick's eyebrows knit worriedly, and he looked down. He ran a hand through his hair. "We have to be careful."

"I know. It's just so…" she struggled for the right word, "boring. You have your job at the station and, knowing you, you're not going to let anyone else manage the circus now, _and _you still have your duty as Nightwing. While I'll be stuck here," she dropped her head back on the pillow. "There's only so much cooking and cleaning I can do before I'll go crazy."

"Well we should find something you can do," Dick stroked her cheek gently, and then kissed her forehead. "Come on. I'm going to take a shower, and then we are going to go look at some houses. I've got to get my family out of this little apartment," he grinned.

"Yeah, I keep tripping over the kitchen." Harley smiled, working her arms out of the blankets.

"Then we'll get a big kitchen." Dick grinned broadly, rummaging around on the floor for some clean clothes. He picked up a t-shirt, smelled it and then shrugged. "And we'll get someplace with a yard, for the dog and the kid to play…" he stood, smiling at her.

"And an extra bedroom for whenever your brothers decide to kick down your door," Harley told him. Dick smiled at her lovingly, sitting down on the bed beside her.

"Whatever you want, we'll find it. We'll find the perfect house for you. For _us._"

* * *

><p>"And if you come out to the veranda, you can see the <em>wonderful<em> view," the Realtor, Wanda, they were following gushed to them. Harley winced and rolled her eyes.

"A veranda? Can't we just call it a porch," she muttered to Dick, her hand firmly held in his.

"It's pretty nice," Dick shrugged, looking around at the woodwork.

"You two said you wanted a yard," Wanda reminded him, making sure they examined every detail.

"Who could focus on the yard with that _wonderful_ view," Harley whispered sarcastically. Dick smirked.

"How are the neighbors, Wanda?" Dick ran a hand through his hair, but he still smiled cordially.

"Oh, just _wonderful_," Harley mouthed the word with her. "It's mainly retirees and empty nesters, so it's very peaceful here."

"One might even say it's wonderful," Harley said with a wicked smile. "But there aren't very many kids here then?" she asked.

"The young families are mostly on," Wanda paused to check a sheet, "Birch Street."

"There wouldn't be anyone for the kid to play with," Dick frowned. "This house is lovely, Wanda, but are there any for sale there? We'd like to be around… well people like us."

"I can put that on the list," Wanda said as she wrote it down.

"Along with a nice school zone," Harley added. "And the billion other things Dick decided he needed at the last couple houses." She flashed him an amused smile.

"I just want somewhere we can be happy. That isn't potentially haunted." Dick grinned.

"Just because it was old and the plumbing creaked does not mean it was haunted," Harley sighed.

"It was haunted," Dick insisted. "But I don't think this is the place either. Sorry Wanda."

"That's alright," she sighed and smiled, but she was obviously growing exasperated at how picky Dick was being. Harley squeezed his hand. "I think there are a couple of others that we can look at."

"Do you need us to give you some more time to find some other listings for his _refined _tastes?" Harley elbowed Dick.

"I think I have a few here," Wanda ruffled through her papers, "that might work, but I'll definitely need to go with a different approach."

"Sorry Wanda," Dick shrugged. "Only the best for my babies." He wrapped an arm around Harley's shoulder, pulling her close to kiss her head. He looked at his watch. "We've got a thing in a couple of hours, so we can look at maybe one more house. If that's alright with you, Wanda?"

"Let's see." She pulled out two listings. "We have a small two bedroom in-"

"-Pass," Harley said.

"Okay then," Wanda said, a bit put out. "We'll go with the Tudor then. It's a bit far from the precinct where you work, but should have everything you're looking for." She handed the the listing. "Was there a chance in your price range for when I refine my search?" she added.

"No cap," Dick smiled, squeezing Harley's shoulders. "I'll pay what I need to."

"Oh," Wanda quietly exclaimed, her attitude visibly improving. "That should help finding _exactly_ what you need," she beamed. She took the listing from him and start ruffling for her papers for different houses.

"Yes, it should be wonderful," Harley commented drily. Dick glanced at her.

"Lead the way, Wanda," Dick smiled as they started back towards the car. Wanda was trailed after them, still looking for a certain house in her papers. Dick opened the door for Harley to slip into the backseat of Wanda's car, and then he opened the driver door for Wanda. She smiled in surprise as he closed the door after her, and then got into the backseat with Harley. Dick kissed her cheek.

"So Wanda, how long have you been in the real estate business in Gotham? I'll bet it's about as easy as being a police officer here, too." He smiled, chatting nonchalantly with her.

"You have to know the city and the neighborhoods," she bragged, "and the people. I've always had a wonderful way of know what people want and who they are." Harley gripped the seat, fighting the overpowering urge to laugh. She couldn't look at Dick, or she knew she wouldn't be able to keep a straight face.

Dick rolled his eyes and smiled a little. "I can't say I don't agree."

"So what about you two?" Wanda smiled. "What's your story?"

"Oh what can I say," Harley pretended to reminisce. "He arrested my last boyfriend and I fell in love." She grinned at him. Dick laughed, and Wanda laughed awkwardly.

"Well that's… different," she shrugged.

"But not completely unexpected in Gotham," Dick added.

"I mean it's practically a cliche," Harley sighed, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "If I had been a criminal, it would have been a book I swear."

"So you two are having a baby," Wanda smiled at them in the rearview mirror, eager to change the subject. "Thats just wonderful," she cooed. Dick smiled happily.

"Just wonderful," Harley agreed wholeheartedly. Dick laughed, his arm still over her shoulders protectively. Wanda started spewing facts about the house they were going to see, but Harley stopped listening. Dick nodded along every now and again, but Harley just watched the neighborhoods stream by her window.

"Isn't that great?" Wanda was asking as she pulled the car to a stop at the curb.

"What? Oh, yeah. Great," Harley agreed, leaning across Dick to try and see the house. He leaned back and grinned at her.

"I like what I see, Wanda," Dick smiled at Harley again and kissed her cheek. He opened the door and helped her out, squeezing her hand. "Spacious yard, pleasant looking neighborhood…"

"It is just wonderful isn't it?" Wanda clutched her papers to her chest. "Oh I just sold the house next door to this one, to a lovely family by the name of-"

Dick cried out as he lurched forward, nearly toppling over as someone hit his leg. He looked down as Lilly's small face peeked out from under a mop of messy, curly hair. He blinked.

"Lilly?"

"Hi Dick!" She grinned, and he picked her up.

"What are you- where did you-?" he smiled, looking around. She pointed, wearing a pink princess costume dress.

"I live over _there_ now," she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh do you?" Dick grinned, glancing at the house right next door to the left of the one Wanda was showing them, separated by a relatively new, unpainted wood picket fence. The for sale sign in the yard had 'sale pending' situated on the top. It was painted a pale yellow with white-blue accents, and Dick cocked his head. "It's haunted," he mumbled, and Harley hit him in the back of the head.

"It is _not haunted_, and don't say that in front of her!" she hissed, stifling a smile. Dick sighed and turned back toward the house for sale.

"I take it back. _This _one is haunted," he raised his eyebrows. A small, barely fifteen foot long yard, enclosed by the bare picket fences and stretching from the sidewalk, led to an average sized and unnaturally tidy looking house. An alleyway by the fence to the right led to the attached garage in the back. The house itself was painted charcoal gray, and a small front porch stretched across the width of the first floor. Bay windows in crisp white frames accented the rooms on the right of the first and second floors, and the white farmhouse panel door on the front porch looked welcoming and pleasant.

"It's not haunted, I promise," Wanda giggled. "Isn't it just lovely?"

A brick chimney rose from the red shingled roof, and a single old-fashioned iron lamppost stood guard by the porch steps; flowerbeds lay empty on either side.

"The backyard is _very_ spacious, fenced in, with a shade tree and a garden. Four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a finished basement and attic, spacious kitchen- with garage and basement access just off of it-, dining room, and living room with a sun room in the back corner," Wanda read off of her paper as they walked up the sidewalk to the house. The crisply painted white steps were strong under their feet, and Dick carried Lilly with him. She gasped.

"We have a porch swing too!" she exclaimed, grinning. Dick nodded, smiling broader; one hand was clasped in Harley's and the other supported Lilly's weight. Wanda laughed.

"Yes, a porch swing." Unlocking the front door, Wanda stepped in side. The house opened up into a living room to the left and a dining room to the right. She led them through the first floor, all the while chatting merrily. "All appliances are less than a year old. Aren't the mahogany cabinets just _darling?_ It gives the whole place a country feel- in the middle of Gotham! Oh, and you can see the back patio and yard through the windows in the sun room- this is all original hardwood in the kitchen and sunroom and dining room- the family who lived here before had the living room re-carpeted before they left…"

Dick and Harley looked around, and from the expression on his face, Harley could tell that Dick was as good as sold. She had to admit that the house was beautiful, and Lilly continued to throw in 'and we'd be your neighbors!' every now and again.

"The bedrooms are spacious and each one has a closet, and the basement would be an _excellent _place for a playroom, or a family room, or anything else you may need. There is a finished basement storage room only accessible from the basement-" Wanda smiled- "It does _not _have egress windows, but off the record- I lived in a basement room with no windows all through college. It would make an excellent office, you look like the kind of cop to bring his work home with him," she elbowed Dick, laughing. He grinned and looked at Harley. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, Wanda," Dick looked around. Wanda bit her tongue hopefully. Dick had been a handful all day, incredibly picky with everything. "I _really _like this one. We'll have to-"

"-Lilly!" a voice cried from downstairs. Dick blinked as the child squirmed out of his arms, and Molly Collins came up the stairs. She grabbed Lilly's arm. "Lilly Talia Collins, I told you to stay in the yard! I'm terribly sorry-" she looked up at Dick and blinked in surprise. He grinned.

"Hiya, Molly. She wasn't causing trouble, just came over to help me with some important decision-making."

"Dick! How good to see you, I- you're considering this house!" She smiled, picking up her daughter. Harley hadn't noticed Dick's arm around her waist until now.

"Not just considering it," he smiled, and with a nod from Harley, he looked to Wanda. "We'll take it." Wanda grinned.

"Wonderful."


	42. You Make Me Question That

_**It's nice.**_

_**Their lives are becoming more and more domestic. Dick couldn't have been happier to buy a house, and beside his partner had sweetened the deal. It was perfect, and nothing could ruin the day. **_

_**Except, of course, the unexpected. Dick had heard Harley tell about her family, but until he experiences it, he has yet to know for sure. After tonight, however, there won't be a doubt in his mind.**_

"Are you ready for this?"

"No."

"Oh come on, Harley, it's not going to be that bad."

"Or it could be," she countered, raising an eyebrow.

"Or it could be completely the opposite of all the horrible things you're imagining." Dick smiled, the light of the sunset shining on the hood of his borrowed car and casting a warm glow over his face. He opened the driver's side door, and walked around to open the door for Harley. She'd gotten used to waiting for him to get the door for her. He'd gotten upset the last time she didn't let him open it. Taking her hand and helping her out of the car, Dick smiled reassuringly. "It could be nice."

"Or there could be a reason I spent so much time at Joe's bar," she muttered, glancing up at the old apartment complex. "Ooo! Let's go visit him instead."

"Listen, Harles," Dick stopped halfway up the crumbling concrete steps, his fingers still laced with hers. The orange glow shone like a spotlight down the deserted street, paper and garbage blowing along the cracked sidewalks in a chilly breeze that momentarily took away the warmth of Dick's hand in her's and blew his dark hair around his face. His eyes seemed more blue than possible against the hot colors of the sunset. "I know you don't want to be here. But this means a lot to me, and the fact that you are willing to do this for me- I couldn't have asked for a better woman."

"Well you could have asked for a woman with a better family. Come on," Harley sighed, pulling him up to the door. "Let's get this over with." She elbowed in the door to unstick it. Dick kissed her hand as she pulled him up the dingy staircase, grinning at her.

"Hey. I chose _you_, and that means I chose you're hellish family, your crazy past, and everything else that comes along with you," he laughed.

"Hellish," Harley snorted, stopping outside room 2B. She knocked on the door.

"Just a minute!" a voice demanded from inside. A few seconds later, they could hear footsteps approaching. Dick could see Harley visibly tense as the chain rattled. A woman opened the door. "Well, well, you actually came," she sneered at Harley. She was almost as tall as Dick with her dirty blonde hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. She crossed her arms over her sweater.

"Yes mom, this is-"

"-you could have called."

"Dick called to say we were coming," Harley reminded her.

"You're dead for a month and the only phone call I get is from some cop boyfriend." Her mother pursed her lips at her.

"Well you didn't go to my funeral, so we'll call it even," Harley snapped. She took a deep breath, "Can we come in?" Her mother stepped to the side to allow them to enter.

"I wasn't going to an Arkham funeral," she muttered as Harley dragged Dick into the apartment.

Dick bit his lip and smiled. "I'm Dick. It's nice to meet you in person," he extended his hand cordially.

"Shannon," she replied, shaking his hand with her right as she pulled out a cigarette with her left. "Got a light?"

"Mom," Harley sighed.

"Barry!" Shannon shouted into the living room. "Got any matches?"

"There's a lighter in my jacket!" Barry hollered back.

"No." Harley stopped her mom from reaching for Barry's jacket where it lay on the floor next to the door. "You said you were going to quit."

"I didn't feel like it." Shannon shrugged.

"Don't smoke while I'm here," Harley begged.

"You don't get to come into my appartment Miss high and mighty and tell me how to live."

"Mom!"

"Please, Shannon, if you don't mind, I'm terribly allergic. I wouldn't want a cop to drop dead in your apartment, and I don't think you would either," Dick smiled, still patient as ever. "Barry, nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you and your kids." Barry was sitting on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He had a bottle of beer in his hands and two empty bottles by his feet. His son Nicky sat beside him eyeing Dick. Jenny sat on the floor, cross legged, playing with the shoe lace of her tennis shoes. She chewed on a strand of her hair.

"Yeah, hey," Barry told him, barely glancing at Dick from the television. He was watching the golf network.

"Barry this is Dick," Harley said, kicking his legs. He winced up at her. "Little early to start drinking isn't it?" She grabbed the two empty bottles and threw them away.

"Grab me another while you're up, Sis." Barry set his beer by his feet.

"Get yourself one," Harley snapped back.

"You can have one," Barry smiled. "I brought enough to share."

"Dad can I have one?" Nicky asked.

"Barry!" Harley groaned.

"Hey! I'm not going to give him one. Do _you _want one?" he looked at Dick.

"No thanks," he smiled. "I don't drink."

"What you-"

"-Barry neither of us are drinking tonight," Harley sighed, bringing a glass of water out of the kitchen for Dick.

"Well you're a stiff now," Barry complained.

"Do you think you're better than us now?" Shannon demanded.

"Mom… I don't..." Harley sighed.

"I never thought _you'd_ date a cop," her mother glared at Dick. Harley resisted wincing.

"Well you did hate my last boyfriend." Harley shrugged.

"So you're trying to be a hero now?" Shannon laughed, grabbing a beer. "Good luck."

"You told me I made a terrible villain, if I recall."

"Hey." Dick smiled yet again, dropping cross legged beside Jenny. "She's my hero. And she made a damn good villain, it took me forever to figure her out. She's perfect. She's smart and beautiful, and I'm not lying when I say-" he pulled out a candy bar and unwrapped it, handing it to the girl- "she gets it from you."

"Don't insult me," Shannon scoffed. Jenny nervously broke off a piece of chocolate and ate it. "She's too much like her father."

"That's hardly fair," Harley objected. Jenny watched her grandmother with wide eyes. Nicky would glance at them every now and again, but Barry focused on the tv, used to it.

"You two ruin every chance you're given," Shannon countered. "Look what you did with your career." Harley couldn't respond.

"She was the youngest doctor ever to work there. She was top of her class, and she was assigned to the most difficult character Arkham had to work with, because she's incredibly smart and strong. She's amazing," Dick grinned at Harley reassuringly, pulling out another candy bar and tossing it to Nicky. "I would have brought some food to add to dinner, but unfortunately I can't cook worth a damn. Harley's great at it though."

"What _are_ we having to eat?" Harley asked her mother. Before Shannon could respond, Nicky interrupted.

"So you're a cop?" he demanded, glaring at Dick as he tore open the wrapper on the candy bar. Dick smiled, narrowing his eyes a bit and pulling a deck of cards out of his coat.

"Not a very good one. Not in a corrupt sense, more in a 'my brother isn't a detective but he's still a better detective' kind of way." He winked, the cards flying between his hands as he shuffled them.

"How many people I know do you think you've arrested?" Nicky demanded.

"I don't know," Dick replied coolly. "I mostly put away the big baddies. You best buddies with the Riddler?" he cocked his head, fanning out the deck with a flick of his wrist. He held it out to Jenny with a reassuring smile. "Pick one." Jenny tentatively took a card, looked at it, and then put it back. Dick smiled, shuffling the cards enthusiastically again. She giggled. He flicked the deck and a card shot out; he caught it with his left hand and showed it to her. "I believe this is yours?"

Jenny laughed out loud, a merry, albeit weak sound. Dick grinned.

"So you brought a magician home. Better than a clown I suppose," Shannon muttered.

"Mom can we not do this again?" Harley pleaded.

"What? Ignoring what you did because you get to run around with the Justice League?"

"That's not-"

"-the Justice League?" Jenny gasped. "Have you met Superman?"

"Yes I did," Harley told her, ignoring her mother's annoyed look. Dick elbowed Jenny.

"He's super-_cool_ up close. I'll bet we could get him to meet you," he said quietly, and she beamed up at him.

"Did you blow up a truck a couple of months ago?" Nicky asked. Harley was taken aback.

"What? I mean I probably did-"

"-And did you get a bunch of cool guns?"

"Nicky that's-"

"-Can I have one?" Nicky begged. "Dad let's me shoot sometimes."

"Barry!"

"What?! Why can't the kid learn to shoot?" He rolled his eyes.

"Are you trying to get him into a gang?" Harley demanded.

"That doesn't mean he's going to join a gang," Barry scoffed, shooting her an exasperated look as he took a swig of beer.

"In this neighborhood it does," Harley pressed.

"Why can't I join a gang?"

"Case and point," Harley said, pointing at Nicky. "At least try to be a decent role model."

"You're one to talk," Shannon interjected, setting a bowl of chips on the coffee table.

"I'm trying to turn my life around," Harley sighed.

"I won't be surprised when you go running back to that mad man." Harley flinched as if she had been stung. Dick bit his lip, looking between the two of them.

"I've made some mistakes, but I'm not Dad," she whispered.

"Can I have some Joker gas?" Nicky asked, leaning around his father.

"Your father was a vile man-"

"-Yes Mom. We know," Harley groaned.

"And you would do well to remember what he did to this family. I blame him for what you've turned into." She pointed her finger at Harley, glaring. Harley bit her tongue, and took a deep breath.

"Can we _please_ not do this this time?" she begged.

"Afraid to talk about it? Hmm?" her mother demanded. "Going to bottle it up and run away with a mad man, ruining your life?"

"Now I may be mad, but-" Dick was cut off midsentence.

"-could you not shout?" Barry asked. "I'm trying to watch tv here."

"Look," Harley snapped, before making an effort to calm herself. "I have Dick now, alright?" Her mother snorted.

"You're over compensating for your past issues with a mass murderer by convincing yourself you're in love with a cop. That's hardly turning your life around," her mother said. Dick frowned.

"Guys, do you smell-"

"-Okay that I agree with," Barry said, not taking his eyes off of the TV. "This is ridiculous. I mean, aside from the fact that he's a cop, um- _he's a cop._"

Dick suddenly bolted into the kitchen, shocking everyone into momentary silence. Harley followed a moment later, and upon entering she saw Dick dancing around flailing his burnt hand and trying not to scream; a nearly burnt meatloaf on the stove. Shannon walked into the kitchen behind Harley.

"Oh. It's done."

"Yes, we gathered," Harley muttered grabbing Dick's hands. "Are you alright?" she whispered, examining them.

"I'm fine," he bit down on his lip, snorting a little. He tried not to laugh. "I didn't know where the potholders were…" he laughed out loud, his reddened hands shaking slightly. "Shall we eat?"

"This isn't funny." She turned his hands over.

"Sorry." Dick still smothered his laughter. "I didn't mean to. Hey." He touched her cheek and made her look up at him as her mother set the wobbly table with paper plates. Smiling, Dick kissed her gently with his hand on her cheek. Harley smiled into the kiss before leaning away.

"I guess I might as well have let you cook," she whispered, eyeing the burnt meat loaf.

"Watch it young lady," her mother warned. Dick smothered a smile.

"It actually looks great. Thank you, Shannon," he flashed her one of his trademark dazzling smiles.

"Nicky, Jenny, Barry, get in here!" Shannon yelled. Jenny ran right in, but Nicky waited to follow his father. Dick took a seat beside Harley, and Jenny slid into the chair on his other side. Shannon dropped into a chair as Barry shuffled into the kitchen, followed by his son. They both dropped into chairs around the table. Shannon waved a hand. "Well help yourselves," she muttered.

Dick looked around, shrugged, and then cut the meatloaf, first dropping a piece onto Jenny's plate, and going clockwise to Nicky, Barry, Shannon, and finally Harley; struggling with his burnt hands. He refused Harley's help, and then served himself a piece as Shannon dropped a plastic tub of coleslaw on the table, passing it around after taking a heaping serving.

"So Nicky," Dick smiled, and the boy glared back. "Do you go to school? What grade are you in?"

"Sixth," Nicky shrugged. Harley glared at Barry.

"He failed another grade?!" she demanded.

"I don't like going," Nicky complained.

"Well you have to go. I didn't go to high school, and I didn't hardly go to college and look how I ended up," Dick leaned close to him. "I'm a _cop_." He said the word in the same resentful way that her family had been saying it the entire night. "You don't want to end up like me, do you?"

"I don't have to listen to you!" Nicky cried. Dick ignored him.

"This meatloaf is really good, Shannon," he smiled.

"It's store bought," she grunted, biting her nails. Dick nodded.

"I can't cook worth a damn either. Harley cooks for me." He elbowed her with a smile.

"So the two of you are living together?" Shannon asked. "Even better," she muttered.

"It's not that big of a deal," Harley sighed.

"Next thing you know, you'll be knocked up and in a church in Vegas," her mother sneered. "Then you'll come crying back when it doesn't work out."

"That is not…" Harley trailed off. She saw Dick's hand tighten around his fork.

"There's nothing wrong with us living together," he smiled easily, but there was a barely detectable edge to his voice that only Harley would have picked up.

"Yes because young romance never ended badly for anyone in this room," Shannon snapped, and instead of looking at Barry, she glared at Harley.

"That is not fair," Harley breathed.

"You're right. I didn't give up my life to raise you," her mother hissed.

"Shannon that's hardly something you can blame on Harley," Dick's voice was firmer now.

"And it isn't my fault that I was left alone because their father…" She trailed off like she was too angry to finish the thought.

"And that isn't ours," Harley raised her voice for the first time. Jenny slid down in her chair. "You can't blame us for what he did," she said quieter.

"Well he left us," her mother shouted, standing up.

"And you didn't have to leave us," Harley countered. "You may have been here, but you didn't raise us. I did."

"Shut your mouth!" Shannon screamed, slapping Harley across the face.

Dick caught Shannon's hand, standing up so quickly that his chair tipped backward, and the room fell deadly silent save for his controlled breathing. "Do _not. _Do that. Again." His voice was dark and low now, a mimicry of Batman's voice in it's menace, his hand tight on her wrist.

"Let me go." Shannon demanded. "This is my house." Jenny hid under the table.

"That doesn't give you the right to abuse your children, no matter how poor a mother you are," Dick snapped. His jaw was tight, his blue eyes steely under dark brows. "There is absolutely nothing more important to me than family. I wouldn't have believed it possible, but you make me question that. I _begged _Harley to come tonight. I had to set this up, because she couldn't care less to see you ever again. I couldn't understand _why_- until we got here. You have done _nothing _but insult her and attack her and abuse her since we walked in the door. I tried to be civil. You didn't. And now I'm tempted to break your wrist for what you did to her." Dick instead released Shannon, using her wrist to push her back into her seat.

"Dick, calm down," Harley stood up. "It's okay." She put her hand on his shoulder.

"No it's not. I forced you into this and it's obvious that I shouldn't have," he glared at Shannon, still not backing down. He took a step forward and Harley nervously braced a hand on his chest. "You're spiteful and cruel, and your son is a useless drunk with two children who will end up just as corrupt as this city if they don't get help from someone else, because you _certainly _aren't going to be the one to offer a hand. She was right. We never should have come, and even I don't care if I ever see you again. I don't care if you're there when the baby is born, and I don't give a shit if you don't come to the wedding." He looked between Barry and Shannon, his jaw set furiously.

"So what, now you're getting married?" Shannon asked. Barry shrank away from them, hoping he wouldn't be dragged into it.

"You know, you'd probably know a lot more about her if you didn't spend so much time criticizing her," Dick hissed. "We're having a baby. And with any luck, you won't be a part of it's life." Without another word, he picked up a torn piece of a soup label from the counter and took a pen from his jacket, kneeling to look at Jenny under the table. "If you or your brother ever need anything, Sweetheart, don't be afraid to call me and your Aunt for help. Okay?" He scrawled the phone numbers on the label and handed it to her, straightening up. "Thank you, for the evening." Taking Harley's hand, Dick pulled her out of the kitchen and toward the door.

"Well that went better than expected," Harley muttered as they walked into the hall.

"I am so sorry," Dick pulled her with him as he left the building, as if desperate to get as far away from her family as possible. "I didn't think- I mean, I didn't know-" He opened the car door for her, and then got in the drivers side. He started the engine, stared out the windshield, and then dropped his head on the steering wheel. "I'm so sorry," he repeated weakly. "I'm sorry I made you do that, I'm sorry for thinking that it could be a good idea, I'm sorry that she hit you..."

"Hey," Harley grabbed his hand. "This isn't your fault. Look at me." She waited until Dick looked into her eyes. "I understand why you wanted to go, but there was a reason I got you to promise we didn't have to come back." She smiled gently. "It's over and that's the end of it."


	43. If You Don't Kill Me, He Will

_**Fear is an infectious condition.**_

_**After the disaster at Harley's family dinner, she could understand why he'd want to escape for a while. Harley can't help but feel jealous, however, of his freedom in the night, a mask releasing his inhibitions. She envied him.**_

_**Batman, Robin, and Nightwing patrol the streets of Gotham in the summer night, looking for trouble- apparently in all the right places. The Scarecrow appears with an unsettling message- and Harley has to come to the aid of her new family.**_

"I've got a feeling- _hoo hoooo_- that tonight's gonna be a good night-" Nightwing swung his escrima stick with one hand, the weapon making a graceful and deadly arc and connecting with the man's side. He quickly pulled it back, ducking a ferocious blow from his opponent's opposite hand, and then brought his elbow down on his shoulder, the action driving his assailant to one knee. Nightwing brought his knee up at the same time as he swung his escrima stick again, this time hitting the man's head and knocking him out cold. "Tonight's gonna be a good, good night…" he panted a little, tugging his gloves tighter and holstering his escrima sticks at his back as he dragged the man to a lamppost and handcuffed him there. Flipping out a phone, he dialed nine-one-one.

"It's awful! Batman beat up a car thief on the corner of Carol Street and Hall Street. Send someone quick!" he cried dramatically into the receiver, and then hung up, humming as he pocketed the phone and fired a grappling hook straight up into the top ledge of the ten-story gothic style apartment complex behind him. "I've got a feeling-"

"-Will you _please _stop that wailing that you call singing, Nightwing, I'm growing sick of taking my communicator out to wipe the blood from my ears!" Robin shouted into the comm. Nightwing had connected to Batman and Robin about an hour ago, but so far it'd been silent.

"There you guys are! What's the sitch, Boy Wonder? I'm in Midtown Gotham, nothing but a couple of minor baddies here. How's the city under your watch?" He took off running across the rooftop, leaping over the alleyway and continuing across the neighboring building.

"Batman and I are farther South," Robin told him. "Nothing interesting," he sighed. "It's all very boring."

"Yeah well. Not everything can be as exciting as it has been lately. Enjoy the lull. How's Batman? He not going to talk to me? Are you still mad at me, Bats?" Nightwing stopped on a rooftop ledge, looking out over the loud, steaming, orange-tinted skyline of the factory sector of Gotham. He dropped down on the ledge with his feet dangling over it.

"I'm busy," Batman said.

"He prefers to scout in silence," Robin mocked drily.

"So you're still mad at me," Nightwing concluded, pulling a plastic wrapped sandwich out of his pocket. He grinned at it. "How are things, Robin? How ya been?"

"I am fine," Robin snapped. "I imagine I'm supposed to ask how you are."

Nightwing laughed aloud, finishing his sandwich quickly. "Always the charmer. I can't _wait_ until you find a girl who won't put up with your shit, Robin. It will be more funny to watch than Batman, genius extraordinaire, try to program his TV. Long story short, Red Robin had to do it for him." He smiled at the memory, getting to his feet again. "I'm good, I suppose. Went to meet Harley's family. _That_ was an incredible mistake. And I bought a house today."

"Nightwing," Batman was shocked into saying. "You did what today?"

"I went to meet Harley's family. Let me tell you, _not_ very pleasant people. Although, her niece was nice. Her nephew was a dick, but he also reminded me of you, Robin-"

"-You bought a house?" Batman interrupted.

"Oh yeah, that. The apartment was a little small with two people living in it, so we went looking. We found this perfect place, spacious and stuff, in one of the new non-slum neighborhoods in Gotham. Birch Street, maybe? I think that's right. Anyway, you all will have to come help us move in, and Robin, if you don't bring a housewarming plant I will be disappointed in you-"

"-You bought a house?" Batman stuttered again.

"Come on, Bats, just cuz you've never had to doesn't mean the rest of us don't. Where did you want Harley and the baby to live, in the Batcave? No." Nightwing rolled his eyes, diving off of a building.

"I know it's the right thing to do, I just… This is all happening so fast," Batman groaned. "You were single a week ago." There was a short laugh from Robin.

"Yeah well. Young love and all that, we just can't _wait _to start our lives together," Nightwing rolled his eyes, talking sarcastically. He caught a fire escape and cried out as the metal suddenly gave way under his hand. He fell the remaining story to the ground. "Ow…" he coughed on the pavement. "Bats, where are you?"

"You're losing your touch, old man," Robin said from above him. Nightwing squinted up at him and frowned.

"The metal couldn't hold me. It's not _my _skills, it's the rusty architecture in this city," he groaned, peeling himself off of the concrete and getting to his feet again. He looked around the dark alley for Batman, blending into the shadow.

"The city isn't at fault for how unobservent you are," Batman told him, suddenly standing behind him. Nightwing jumped a little.

"Jesus- okay, sorry for not noticing the rusted metal in the dark," he shot back, his shoulders relaxing. "Any buzz on the police channel? I wasn't picking anything up, but I figured you might."

"No," Batman growled. "The city has been incredibly silent. Except for the minor independant stragglers, the gangs haven't made a move, and the crime rings are quiet."

"So maybe they all took a break," Nightwing shrugged. "Maybe they all decided to tear up the redlight district tonight."

"At the same time?" Robin stared at him. "I can't believe everyone considers you my superior."

"No. I think they're waiting on something," Batman said darkly, his cape around his shoulders casting his body in shadow. Nightwing shuddered.

"I'd hate to see what they're waiting for," he put a hand on his hip, surveying Batman and Robin. "Most of the baddies are locked up in Arkham or Blackgate, except for a few rats hiding in the sewers. Black Mask, Red Hood-" Robin snorted- "Scarecrow… a few others."

"Oh, I'm _flattered_ you remembered me," a voice hissed in the darkness. Nightwing tensed, and Batman and Robin readied for a fight. None came. The dark, dead-end alleyway was silent, a deserted factory with a long forgotten purpose loomed to their right, and it's storage house stood at their left.

"Oh good," Robin hissed, "this again."

Nightwing narrowed his eyes as he looked at the dark and dirty windows of the factory. Before any of them could react, an orange canister fell at their feet and burst into a cloud of yellow-green gas. Nightwing cried out, reaching for his pocket for his rebreather, but it was too late. He could already feel the toxin blurring his vision. Robin gagged, pulling his hood over his head. Batman lunged for the container, tossing it away into the factory.

"Scarecrow," he coughed, trying to focus. The tall, lean figure of the villain stepped from the shadows, his arms crossed over his chest and a stitched burlap mask hiding his face.

"Batman," his merry voice was muffled by the mask, his wide-brimmed straw hat casting his face into darker shadow. "Oh, I know, I normally toy with you a bit before throwing that in your face, but-" he shrugged- "as soon as you realized it was me, you would've donned that impenetrable gas mask, and then what chance would I have stood?" Nightwing gasped, dropping to one knee, and Scarecrow rested an elbow on his head, planting his chin on his hand. "After all, in a game of versus, the bookworm only defeats the jock if he cheats. Come on, now," he sighed, grabbing Nightwing's hair and Robin's cape and dragging them through a side door into the factory. He threw them into the open floor area, long since cleared of machinery, leaving only the grimy floor and a few overturned tables. Batman stumbled in after them.

"Crane," he growled, bracing his hand on the floor.

"Be right with you, Batman," he said distractedly as he grunted, picking up a table with some effort and setting it upright.

"B-batman!" Nightwing stuttered, his voice hoarse. He knelt on the ground, his face in his hands. He refused to look up. "They're all dead, all _dead- _I failed- I failed you-" blood soaked his uniform and dripped from his hidden face.

"-Father?" Robin's voice was small, and he stood beside Nightwing with unfocused eyes staring out of a dark mask. Blood dripped from his hands, a katana clutched in one, his face glitching with a grin, his eyes flashing. "I killed them. I'm just like _you_ now."

"New formula?" Batman asked, the world spinning around him.

"Oh yes. Much more potent. The hallucinations are _spot on_, and incredibly vivid. I _have _to ask, maybe I'm just not up on the gossip lately, but he called you '_Father'_ now we all know the Robins were yours in a sense, but is this one actually _yours_?" Scarecrow asked, walking toward Nightwing. He grabbed him by his hair again, and when he looked up he screamed, struggling to get away. Scarecrow dragged him with some effort over to the table.

"Jonathan," a woman called. "We talked about this." Harley stepped into the factory, her arms crossed. She was wearing a sweater and jeans with her hair pulled up in a bun.

"Talked about- oh, it's you. Sorry, _Darling_, but orders is orders. I have a higher pay coming in from a new sponsor, and that new one wants your boys taken out." Scarecrow shook his head ruefully, flipping Nightwing over and dropping him on the table. He panted, his unfocused eyes frantic behind his mask. Scarecrow leaned over him, crossing his arms, and Nightwing screamed again, cowering. He reached for an escrima stick and Scarecrow caught his hand, slamming it down on the metal surface of the table.

"I'm warning you Crane. Stop this now." She stepped toward him, her eyes fiery.

"Harley," Batman choked, reaching for her. "Leave…. you need…. leave."

"Trust me, little lady, this isn't something you want to interfere with," Scarecrow glanced at her, pulling out a device from his pocket. Pressing a button, the high-powered magnets jumped around Nightwing's wrist. He cried out in pain, and Robin suddenly launched from the shadows, attacking Batman.

"Damn it," Harley hissed, grabbing Robin. She pulled him kicking away and unceremoniously dumped him on the floor after she took his katanas. Robin growled angrily, rolling to his feet again. Nightwing let out another cry of pain as Scarecrow locked his other hand down to the table. Rather than cower in fear, Robin was retaliating and attempting to fight it. He gasped, this time rushing toward Harley. He slid under her, taking her legs out from under her as he lunged at Batman, and the two of them tumbled away. Robin came to a stop sitting on Batman's chest, hitting his face.

"You- always loved- him- more than me- I won't become obsolete-" Robin cried, tears stinging his reddened eyes. Harley started towards them before stopping. With a groan she ran at Scarecrow, grabbing his collar.

"I was having a quiet night," she told him, ripping his mask off.

"And I'm sure you were _incredibly_ bored!" he cried with a hoarse laugh. "You should be thanking me," he hissed, chopping down on her wrist and causing her to release his shirt. His cheeks were sunken, gray circles rimming his eyes. He laughed again. "I'm not allowed to go down without a fight."

"Well," Harley agreed with a shrug, backing against the table. "But attack the people I love?" She reached behind her and grabbed the handcuffs out of Nightwing's pockets. "Not a good idea." She quickly clamped it around Scarecrow's wrist. He cried out, blindly swinging at her with his one free hand; Harley caught it and used his momentum, guiding his hand as she twisted it behind his back and handcuffed it there. Batman blocked Robin's blows, slowing as the toxin wore off, and Nightwing groaned behind her. "Now just sit there," she ordered Scarecrow, slamming him onto the ground. "Nightwing," she exclaimed, turning to face him. "Are you okay?" She fumbled around trying to unclamp his wrists.

"Failed, I've failed again," Nightwing was babbling weakly, his eyes pinched shut. Scarecrow laughed where he sat on the floor.

"Did I forget to mention that the new formula is stronger?" Harley glared at him. With a quick motion, she hooked her foot in the chain of his handcuffs and dragged him toward her, his arms straining backward. "Doesn't last as long, but… fatal."

"Do you have an antidote on you?" she demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he groaned in pain, pulling against the handcuffs to lighten the strain on his shoulders, biting down on his tongue. Harley sighed, kicking him aside.

"Nightwing," she whispered, leaning over him again. "Do you have an antidote?" He strained against his wrists on the table, his lips pale.

"S'in my glove pocket-" he breathed weakly, still not opening his eyes. Harley searched around, finding the antidote.

"I don't know if there's enough for more than one person," she sighed, looking at it. "You," she glared down at Crane, "are you going to be helpful at all? I didn't think you were completely vile."

"Listen, Darling, you were never so bad yourself. But I'm not scared of you. I never have been. I just never disobeyed you, at the risk of disobeying _him._" Scarecrow winced, looking up at her. His voice was soft and weak, and he looked down. "No one works for anyone but _him, _Harley."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, everything around her momentarily forgotten. Batman rolled onto his knees, and Robin crawled toward him.

"I'm talking about- even locked up- he controls this city!" Scarecrow shouted, looking up at her. "If I don't do as I'm told- I'll end up in the gutter! If you had _any _idea what's in store, what's coming-" he wheezed, laughing. "We're all so screwed it's not even funny."

"No," Harley breathed, her hands falling to her sides. "No," she said more firmly. "He doesn't control everything! I have beaten him, and you helped. It can be done." She leaned toward Crane, staring into his eyes. "If he has anything planned, I'll do it again," she told him darkly. "Now are you going to help?"

"The antidote," Scarecrow looked down, "is in my pocket. Take it. It's the pale green vial-" he glanced at the two bottles as she pulled them out- "the murky green one is a highly concentrated, lethal dose of fear toxin, it would be terrific if you could just open it and leave it there on the floor. The fumes will kill me in due time."

"I'm not going to kill you." She grinned at him; she held tight to both bottles. "But I will save you." Turning away, she gave the antidote to Dick.

"You won't be able to," he spoke quietly, leaning against the table leg. "I'd rather die by my own hand and my own poisons. It would be less painful than what he'll do to me…"

"Your goal is to strike fear into the hearts of others," Harley reminded him as she gave Batman and Robin the antidote. "Welcome to how it feels."

"You're as funny as ever, clown princess," Scarecrow muttered. "If you don't kill me, he will. Last chance." Nightwing's tense muscles relaxed as he looked around, blinking slowly behind the lenses of his mask. Harley dropped the empty bottle on the ground and went to Scarecrow's side.

"We could make it so he can't reach you. Batman can. You can try again," Harley pleaded. "Try to be better. It doesn't have to be bad."

Scarecrow laughed in the darkness of the empty factory. "If only you knew, Sweetheart." he looked up at her skeptically. "Not even _you_ can get out that easily."

"Crane," Harley looked at him worriedly, "what are talking about?"

"Get your boyfriend and get out of here," he said quietly. Nightwing strained against the cuffs.

"Harley? Where are we? What are you doing here?!" he took a deep breath, his arm and shoulder muscles tensing as he managed to yank his arms away from the metal against the magnets. He sat up. Batman joined them, walking beside a limping Robin, his face distorted with the blood running down it from under his ebony cowl.

"We need to go." Batman hissed, police sirens wailing toward them through the Gotham streets. "I called Gordon as soon as you spoke, Crane. They'll get you."

"I'll be dead before they hit the door," he replied with a tired smile.

"Harley, let's go," Nightwing grabbed her hand, steering her toward the door in front of him. She could hear Batman's cape rustling as he and his son followed.

"No," Harley objected, breaking free from Nightwing. "You're scaring me, Crane," she told him. Batman held Scarecrow's shoulder as he guided him towards the door. Nightwing grabbed Harley's arm, one arm going around her waist.

"Harley! You're a wanted criminal, if Gordon sees you he has no choice but to arrest you!" he snapped, pulling her along. Batman forced Crane to his knees on the pavement outside as red and blue flashed with the sirens coming down the street. He looked up at Harley.

"Be careful, clown princess," he breathed. Gunfire suddenly exploded from the rooftop on the opposite side of the street, tearing holes in Scarecrow's chest. Harley screamed. Batman threw himself over Nightwing and Harley, his heavy bulletproof cape shielding them as he dragged them both into the alleyway and out of range. Robin followed with his cape pulled tightly around his shoulders. Releasing them, Batman began running, firing a grappling hook into the rooftop of the building creating the dead end, and Nightwing did the same, his arm wrapped tightly around Harley. Robin and Batman sprinted across the rooftops. Nightwing's face was dark and serious, his jaw tight as he ran.

"We have to go back! We can't leave him!" Harley cried, straining to turn around. "It's my fault!"

"We can't do anything about it now, Harley!" Nightwing said seriously. "He's gone."


	44. Just Like The Rest of Us

_**Dick is in a panic.**_

_**In light of Harley's recent endeavour, though a successful one, Batman and Nightwing are left worried that she may do it again. And the loss of a life and the unsettling message about the Joker didn't help to calm their moods. **_

_**The voice of reason comes- slurred and crude- from a highly unexpected member of the Batman family. Her words ring true, and she exposes secrets of Dick and Bruce that they didn't know the other held. Before she passes out, that is.**_

Standing awkwardly by the door to the elevator, Robin said "...soooooo are we gonna be eating anytime soon…" Batman and Nightwing gave him a blank stare. "So thats a no…"

"It _would_ be a yes from me," Harley muttered, not bothering to try and move toward the elevator.

"I'll get you something to eat," Robin quipped, tapping the elevator button, eager to get out of the tension. He stepped onto the elevator and gave Nightwing a glance before the doors slid closed, and when they opened again Robin walked out into the library. He turned to watch the grandfather clock swing shut behind him, the secret door sealing shut. Alfred stood before him.

"Will you be retiring, Master Damian?" he asked, holding a tray of food. Damian took his mask off and looked up at him.

"I believe so, Pennyworth. _You_ can take breakfast into the shitstorm down there, Harley is hungry." He walked past him.

"Watch your language, young sir," Alfred commented, before turning the hands on the clock to 10:47. The door swung open, and he stepped onto the elevator.

"-Stupid, and rash and completely unnecessary!" Nightwing was saying as Alfred got off, walking towards them with the tray. Alfred bowed a little to Harley, handing her a sandwich and a glass of water.

"Lovely to see you again," he smiled. "Master Bruce, would you like some?" he offered the tray when Nightwing pushed it aside.

Batman looked down in irritation, rubbed his eyes and with a huff of frustration replied, "no …I don't want a sandwich."

"Well I don't want to be here," Harley snapped. "So tough. Eat the damn sandwich."

"This… is _my_ house," Batman retorted.

"You wouldn't be here if you hadn't followed us into the field!" Nightwing cried in exasperation.

"And you wouldn't be here if I hadn't followed you into the field," Harley countered.

"Maybe so," Nightwing said darkly. "But that is how we would have to do it without you. You can't just run into the line of fire, not _now._ It's dangerous, and you shouldn't have- how did you even know where the hell we were?"

"I hacked your comms," Harley brushed it off. "And it was Crane. I knew he wouldn't hurt me."

"He damn well could have," Nightwing snapped. "And what about the gunman on the rooftop?" he demanded. "What do you think I would have done if you'd gotten shot?" he asked, taking his mask off. His eyes were still rimmed in red from the gas.

"And what would I have done if you'd gotten shot?" Harley cried. "You can't just expect me to sit back while you're in danger!"

"I reiterate, we would have been _fine_," Dick insisted. Bruce slipped his cowl back from his head, his eye swollen and dry blood on his face from Damian's blows.

"When I got there, you were incapacitated, and Batman and Robin were fighting each other. It didn't look _fine_."

"We could have handled it, Harley," Dick rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I know you hate me for it, but I don't want you to do anything like that again."

"But nothing happened," she complained. "It was perfectly fine. I _am_ careful."

"I know, Harley." Dick pinched his eyes shut against the stinging as the elevator doors slid open, and Batgirl and Spoiler strode into the Batcave. Barbara pulled her cowl off, shaking out her red hair dramatically and grinning. Stephanie yanked her hood down.

"Guys, we've got a problem," Stephanie snapped. Barbara looked around.

"It stinks like hell in here," she shrugged, accidentally walking into a table. She looked down, running a hand through her hair. "Bruce, what the _hell _are you doing still up? Robin is up there doing _something_ with his leg there was blood everywhere-"

"-wait, I didn't see Robin-" Stephanie glanced at the elevator.

"-and you're down here looking like he kicked your ass now you should be doing something _other _than this, come on," Barbara grabbed his arm, tugging on him and trying to drag him out of his chair. Bruce stared at her incredulously.

"Barbara have you been _drinking_?" Bruce snapped.

Dick's arms dropped from his waist. "Babs!?"

"Stiffs," she mumbled.

"You went out drinking as Batgirl?" Bruce demanded.

"Jesus. I went _in _drinking as Barbara," she let go of his arm. "Steph wanted to drag me here, and you have this thing with-" she screwed up her face and imitated his gravelly voice- "when you come into the cave, you leave your outside identity behind."

"I didn't know where else to bring her," Steph admitted, watching Barbara with an amused grin.

"Barbara," Harley waved to get her attention, "maybe you should sit down."

"Hi! Oh my gosh hi!" Barbara grinned, walking over to Harley and jumping up onto the table where she sat, sitting close by her. "Oh my God you look so cute," she smoothed her hair. "Dick doesn't she just look cute?! Wait why do you- why does he look mad?" Barbara leaned forward, covering her mouth and looking at Harley.

"Harley could've gotten herself and our baby killed tonight," Dick ran a hand through his hair.

"Baby?!" Steph cried, looking between them.

"But I didn't," Harley snapped at Dick. "You and Bruce are blowing this out of proportion."

"They do that a lot," Barbara elbowed her, giggling. "Wait what happened? Did you go out when he told you not to? Did- did you not do what you were told?" Barbara glanced at Dick.

"She endangered herself unnecessarily!" Dick cried.

"It wasn't unnecessary! I was saving your life," she retorted.

"Am I the only one who still can't get past the fact that she's pregnant?" Stephanie demanded, glancing at everyone. Barbara stared at Dick.

"You're a dumbass."

Dick stared at her. "Barbara, why the hell were you drinking?!"

"You're so stupid!" Barbara laughed, shaking her head. "Dick, she's a _hero _now! She can do whatever she wants to save people and stuff, especially when you boneheads get in trouble."

"She's pregnant!" Dick cried.

"She's a total badass!" Barbara screamed over him, grinning. "She isn't gonna do anything she can't do. She knows her limits, and you probably make her feel as stupid as you when you try to control her like this. She knows what she's doing." She clapped a hand on Harley's shoulder. "And you need to trust her more."

"I'm just picturing her running around with pigtails like eight months pregnant," Steph whispered, her eyes wide.

"She's pregnant, Barbara," Bruce said firmly. "I won't risk her getting hurt."

"And I guess I have no say in it," Harley muttered.

"Not particularly, no." Bruce glanced at her. "You are still a criminal under my watch."

"Bruce!" Dick whirled on him.

"Psh. She's better than all of you. Bruce I've seen you fight on broken legs, I've seen Damian tear a knife clean through his arm and then use that arm to swing a sword- I've seen- I've seen Dick go without sleep for three days straight, and even I've done worse. I reiterate: she knows what's best for the baby, and unless any'a you jacked up _guys _wants to show me that you're a woman, I _don't _think you got a say in the matter. Steph agrees with me."

"I don't want any part of this," Stephanie held her hands up.

"That's what I thought, see she agrees," Barbara looked around. "Now where do you keep the scotch in here, Bruce, I _know _you've got some."

"Barbara, I don't think you should drink anymore," Harley advised. "How about some water?" She grabbed the glass.

"Nah," Barbara pushed away the glass. "Bruce, she's awesome. Face it, Dick is following in your footsteps."

"Ouch," Steph laughed.

"I think you need to rest," Bruce told Barbara.

"Listen to me, Bruce. Listen, listen," she glared at him. "Dick is you, face it. Like father like son. You and him are both strong, stubborn, independent- kinda sexy- stubborn jackasses."

"Okay," Harley put her hand on Barbara's shoulder. "I really appreciate you siding with me, but I think you should go to bed."

"You both have that ridiculous loss complex that drives you toward justice, and you both are incredibly amazing vigilante hero things, even though you decided to be a giant bat, which is a little weird but hey! To each his own right? And he's a bird thing, but I don't get the stripe on his chest…" Barbara glanced at Dick.

"Barb," Steph sighed, "you're rambling again."

"It's got a point, we have a point, Steph," she raised a finger in irritation, looking at Bruce again. "You both do that thing with your hair, he got that from you. The hot 'I'm exasperated watch me ruffle my hair' thing that you two do."

"Steph, help me get her upstairs," Harley instructed, grabbing one of her arms. "I don't want her to be embarrassed in the morning."

"You both fell for villains, bad girls or whatever," she continued to babble. "And you both ended up with a kid out of the deal. Dick wants to propose to Harley, and you told me last month that you were looking to propose to Selina, so I don't see the problem. He's a younger version of you, but he's exactly like you. I mean, where Damian got your stubbornness and your all around gloominess and darkness and kinda your whole face- Dick is sweet and funny and outgoing and he _still_ kinda looks like you. But he's your son and he's gonna act like it, I don't know why you're so surprised. Guys I'm ok I don't want to go upstairs," she tugged her arm away from Steph. "Why was I talking about this?"

"You were thinking about proposing to Selina!?" Dick demanded.

"You are so coming upstairs," Steph muttered, helping Harley drag her toward the elevators.

"What a shame some of her finer argument points now amount to nothing," Harley sighed, pressing the lift button.

"What do you mean?" Steph cocked her head, looking at Harley.

"Well," Harley grunted, heaving Barbara into the elevator. "I know I'm not going to be able to go out as Harley Quinn after a while and everything, but I just can't stand being useless," she sighed, leaning Barbara against the elevator wall.

"You're preaching to the choir, honey," Barbara cried, throwing her hands up. "How do you think I felt when Dick was out running across rooftops and I was stuck in a wheelchair?" She leaned close to Harley. "Not. Good."

"I forgot about that," Harley admitted. She helped Barbara stay upright.

"Yeah. Apparently there's a trend in his love life, too," Barbara nodded enthusiastically. Stephanie shook her head.

"You never drink, Barb. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking 'first stable relationship in years goes down the drain, and you want to forget about it? There's a bottle of something in the cabinet' so I found it and I drank it. It wasn't even a big deal, not a big enough deal to tell you guys about. But… I dunno, the guy was nice. I liked him. Then suddenly he was out. I wasn't enough for him." Barbara looked down. "And I was feeling so bad just… _lately-_" she glanced guiltily at Harley- "that I kinda forgot that I had a good day."

"What was your good day?" Harley asked gently.

"Just a pleasant day at the library," Barbara smiled a little. "Hardly anyone came in, the ones who did were very polite, I had lunch with dad…" she trailed off. "Just an all around peaceful day. And then he breaks up with me. Over the phone, no less," she shook her head.

"The scumbag," Steph muttered. "What's his address?"

"I'm sorry," Harley told her, giving her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. Barbara laughed.

"Well you and Dick don't help," she said in exasperation. "With your perfect everything and your all around adorableness and your perfect little baby bump- I'd hate you both if you weren't so damn cute," she smiled, elbowing Harley. She grinned but rolled her eyes.

"This is why I got you out of there. You did just blurt out to Dick about Bruce wanting to propose." The elevator doors opened, and Harley led Barbara out. "Not your brightest idea."

"That wasn't all common knowledge?" Barbara looked at Harley as she led her through the library and out into the hall. "But you can _see_ the baby bump now! Its not like some big secret," Barbara tugged her to a stop beside a decorative mirror in the hall.

"How did I miss that?" Steph mumbled. Barbara glanced down.

"God this costume makes my ass look good," she mumbled.

"No use arguing with a drunk person," Harley muttered, pulling Barbara along. "And Dick proposing wasn't common knowledge either," she added for future reference.

"Wait!" Steph exclaimed. "You're engaged now?!"

"I said no," Harley sighed.

"Why!?" Stephanie cried, throwing her hands in the air. "You two are perfect together! Seriously, this is the Batfamily relationship we all follow like US Weekly. You're our Brangelina. Our DiCaprio and an Oscar- Why did you say no!?"

"Seriously?" Harley gasped at her in surprise. "We've been together shorter than Kim Kardashian's marriage. I love him to death, but," she pushed Barbara's door open, "it isn't the right time yet."

"Oh please." Barbara pulled her cape off. "That's just something people say when they don't want to say that they're scared. I know you'd hate me for it- but if I could go back- I wouldn't have said no." She dropped onto the bed, her hair splaying over the pillow.

"We dated for a week before everything went to hell," Harley reminded her, pulling the covers out from under her. "I believe the term for it would be a shotgun wedding." She flicked her wrists, and the blanket draped over her. Barbara yawned.

"I'm not tired. And that's no excuse. I thought you were supposed to be crazy, shouldn't you be all over this? You're saner than half of us on the Bat side of Gotham," she narrowed her eyes, reaching her arms out to Steph as she talked to Harley.

"Why does everyone love that I'm crazy?" Harley demanded.

"What is it Barb?" Steph, grabbing her hands. She cried out as Barbara pulled her onto the bed, and then she looked at Harley, holding out her hand.

"Because it means that you're just like the rest of us." Harley sighed, one corner of her mouth turned up in a smile as she took her hand.


	45. We Always Are

_**Could he?**_

_**It's a nice day and every member of the family seems to be present. Despite the tensions of the night before, spirits are high, even if they are dropping. Barbara's incredibly amusing stunt last night can't take away from the growing sense of unease that they're all beginning to feel. **_

_**Something is amiss. The Joker is in prison, awaiting trial, and Gotham is quiet. Everything points to clear skies ahead, but a storm is coming, and Dick can feel it. Harley can, as well, but admitting to that feeling may take some time. Time that they may not have.**_

The bedroom door creaked open slightly, quietly, as a sliver of light appeared.

"Harley?" Dick poked his head through the crack, and then pulled it back. Groggily, Harley opened her eyes. She was snuggled between Barbara and Stephanie, both of them unconscious and tangled up in the blankets. Muffled arguing came from the hall. Stephanie groaned.

"Wha' they doin' out there? I'm tryin' ta sleep…" she pulled the covers over her head, in turn pulling them up to Harley's chin.

"Then stay here," Harley whispered. "I'll go see what it is." She carefully tried to wiggled out from between them.

"Don' wake Barb," Steph mumbled, rolling over to allow Harley some room. Damian was suddenly shoved through the door, and Stephanie poked her head out from under the blanket.

"I am supposed to…" his voice trailed off as he mumbled under his breath.

"Get over here kid, I can't hear ya," Steph narrowed her eyes. Damian angrily marched over to the bed.

"I'm supposed to tell you that-" he was cut off as Stephanie's arm shot out and grabbed him by the shirt, and within seconds he was flailing in anger under the blankets.

"Go while I have the beast contained!" Steph whispered dramatically. Barbara didn't even stir. Harley laughed under her breath as she hopped to the edge of the bed. Rolling off, her bare feet hit the floor, and she padded out of the room.

"Harley! Hey," Dick smiled, looking tired. "Get some sleep? It's almost noon, I figured you were with Babs and Steph. She took Damian, didn't she?"

"Yeah," Harley rubbed her eyes. "I think they needed a flesh sacrifice to free me."

Dick kissed her forehead gently and pushed her messy blonde hair out of her face. "I wanted you to know that I'm sorry about last night. Babs was drunk and rambling, but she did make some fair points. I should trust your judgement. I should trust you more than I do."

"And as Steph was using me as a pillow and Barbara as a drool towel," Harley snickered a little, "I thought about how hard this must be for you." She sighed. "I won't go in the field anymore."

"That does ease my mind a bit," he smiled. Dark circles draped his tired eyes in shadow, and his raven hair fell over his forehead as he looked down. "Thank you. I'm sorry about… I'm sorry about Crane," he said quietly.

"Me too," she whispered. "If I hadn't convinced him to help me…"

"I know," Dick hugged her close. "Do you think what he said is true? Do you think that this really could all be- that _he_-" he couldn't bring himself to say the name.

"No, he can't be," Harley tried to assure both of them. "Me being alive should have been too much of a curveball, and with his limited resources now, being locked away, he _can't _do anything."

"You're right." Dick smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist reassuringly. "You're _always _right, it seems," he said, grinning as he rested his forehead against hers.

"And I had a thought," Harley admitted. "Barbara made me think that… well I'm going to be stuck sitting around, but I don't have to be completely useless." She blushed. "I mean, I was basically at my skill limit hacking your comms but…. you could teach me?" she asked unsurely.

"You mean… you want to be our next Oracle? In a way," Dick smiled, "it would be good for you. Of course I can teach you. And you're _not _completely useless," he said quietly, pulling her close.

"Just a little useless." She smiled up at him.

"Maybe a little," he laughed, her smile already lifting his spirits. "But you are by no means 'completely' useless." Dick leaned in and kissed her softly, his lips warm and gentle as he leaned back against the wall in the hallway. When they're lips broke away, Harley bent her face up, giving him a kiss on the nose.

"Getting pretty close though," she smiled. "Barbara was having fun pointing out my baby bump."

"I noticed it yesterday," Dick grinned at her proudly. "I just didn't say anything. I didn't know if you'd noticed, but I figured you had. Why didn't you make a big deal out of it? It _is _a big deal," he laughed, suddenly lifting her off of her feet and above his head, kissing her belly. Harley laughed, his arms holding her steady and easily.

"It's my body, of course I noticed." She laughed again. "It's been coming on for days. I just didn't know it would be a big deal that it looks like I have never worked out."

"It is," Dick let her drop down slowly until she was standing on his toes, almost even with his face. He kissed her slowly, pulling her close as a door clicked silently down the hall. The kiss broke off and Bruce looked away from them, starting down the hall in the opposite direction. Dick leaned his head back against the wall. "Our argument a couple of days ago was about you," he sighed.

"Oh," she said, taken aback. "You and Bruce?"

"Yeah, it was… just a stupid argument. One that escalated last night after Babs dropped the bomb about him wanting to ask Selina to marry him." Dick bit his lip, closing his eyes.

"What did you two say to each other?" she asked gently. He let out a short laugh.

"A lot of hateful things we shouldn't have. It's complicated. He treats me like a child who can't make my own decisions. The other night I told him that I regretted ever having become Robin. I was pretty pissed he made that criminal comment about you last night, too," he rubbed his eyes.

"You can't get mad over every insignificant insult," she scolded him. "I was a criminal, and he technically is watching over me. I haven't been arrested yet have I?"

"I know, Harley, I know." Dick looked at her. "I just… He treats me like I don't know any better. Tells me that this will work 'for now' but I'll change my mind later- All I want is for him to take me- to take us- seriously. I love you, and he doesn't want to accept that." A finger traced along her cheekbone as he looked in her eyes.

"We could always sic Steph and Barbara on him," Harley offered. "Besides, you can't get angry for him trying to do the right thing. You'd have to hear it from someone, and he decided to be the bad guy who'd say it." She put her hand on his cheek. "We _have_ only been dating for a little while. We _don't_ know everything about each other. We _do_ have a long way to go." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Just because we aren't 'just for now', doesn't mean he doesn't have some fair points."

"Well I could die happy, right now, in your arms," Dick smiled contentedly, hugging her tight. "Regardless of what you both say, there is no one I'd rather be with."

"See, I don't know. I've been contemplating going back to my family," Harley sarcastically told him. Dick let out a short laugh, squeezing her hand. He led her downstairs to the parlor, the cream colored curtains pulled back from the high windows. Bruce was sitting beside Selina on the sofa, and Alfred was serving tea and coffee. Dick smiled as Harley dropped into an armchair, and he rubbed her shoulders gently.

"How did you sleep, Selina?" he asked, resting his chin on Harley's head.

"Just fine," she smiled at him, "but I haven't convinced him to sleep yet." She glared at Bruce. Dick gave him a disapproving look.

"Bruce, even _you _have to sleep sometime. That three hour meditating thing you do is not proper rest. Why do we have to make you, like a child?"

"I've been wondering for years," Alfred muttered, pouring a glass of juice for Harley. He handed Dick a coffee and then turned on the TV, the volume almost inaudible.

"I can manage just fine," Bruce growled.

"No you can't," Dick smirked at him, sipping his coffee.

"I have for all of these years." Bruce picked up his mug, chugging some down. Dick nearly spit out his coffee.

"Is that the mug I bought you?!" he asked, unsuccessfully trying to smother his grin. Bruce glanced at his Father's Day mug before glaring at Alfred.

"Sir, it is simply a mug," Alfred said, smiling when he turned away. Dick smirked at Bruce again, bringing his mug to his lips. One hand still rested on Harley's shoulder as he leaned against the chair, his elbows on the back. He glanced at the television.

"Alfred wait- turn that up, what is that?" he asked, pointing at the screen where a newscaster with a pretty but forgettable face was gesturing to a picture of the Joker in the top right corner.

"...and sources say he _wanted_ to go to trial," the reporter was saying. "Despite the offer of multiple plea bargains, the Joker will face charges on these crimes to add to his already multiple life sentences. The trial will be held on Monday in eleven days time for the defense to prove that the Joker was… mentally unwell when he committed these crimes." The reporter was having a hard time keeping her face unbiased. "While criticism has been made that the trial is being held too soon, the DA's office is arguing…"

"Of course he wanted to go to trial," Harley muttered, rubbing her thumb across her palm. "All of that attention." Dick bit his lip, rubbing Harley's shoulder. Damian stormed into the room.

"Why did you just abandon me there?" he demanded, glaring furiously at Dick.

"Dam you know I can't fight Steph over you. She'd kick my ass," he smiled over his coffee mug. "Face it, Stephanie owns you."

"It took you this long to get free, and she was half asleep?" Harley asked with a grin. "You're losing your touch Damian."

"Father taught me not to hurt allies, and no matter how much I disagree with him, I obey him," Damian narrowed his eyes. "I refused to be criticized by the likes of-"

"-_Damian!_" Stephanie burst into the room behind him, the door slamming against the wall. Damian let out a cry and raced toward Dick, hiding behind him.

"I think the proper answer is you're scared," Harley muttered.

"I am not afraid!" Damian shouted, suddenly furious. He glared at Harley. "Stop saying that I am afraid!"

"Steph what do you want with him anyway?" Harley ignored Damian.

"I just wanna squeeze him. He's so adorable!" Stephanie grinned, chasing after Damian. He growled angrily and sprinted away. Selina pulled her legs up on the couch, tugging Bruce closer.

"How is Barbara?" she asked, looking at Steph as she chased Damian toward the windows.

"She's _totally_ hung over and throwing up in her bathroom."

Dick frowned. "I'm going to go see if there's anything I can do for her," he put his coffee down and walked through the Manor to her room. Knocking on her door, Dick stuck his head around the corner. "Babs? How you doing?" he made his way to the bathroom and pushed the door open.

"Are you yelling?" she asked, leaning her cheek on the counter.

"No, actually, but I can lower my voice. How are you feeling?" he whispered, leaning against the doorjamb and crossing his arms.

"Like I went a couple rounds against Killer Croc," she groaned. "Did I make an ass of myself last night?"

"Other than calling me and Bruce sexy? Um… no, not any more than usual." Cocking his head, Dick smiled at her. Barbara groaned again, running her hand through her hair. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Wait." She looked at him, trying to remember. "Did I yell at Harley for not marrying you?"

"I wouldn't know. The girl talk commenced when you three went upstairs; meanwhile Bruce and I had a screaming match over his wanting to propose to Selina. Which you dropped on everyone."

"Oh," Barbara gasped. "So I did make an ass of myself."

"Nah, you're fine. Can I get you anything to help with the hangover?" he knelt on the ground beside her, lifting her head away from the counter. Raising his eyebrows, Dick laughed. "You still stink of alcohol, Babs," he shook his head.

"I think I need some _very_ strong coffee," she wrinkled her nose, "and a shower."

"Coffee is out here Miss," Alfred called from the bedroom. Dick grinned.

"See, Alfred's got ya covered," he said quietly, helping her to her feet. "You're on your own for a shower, though. Not going to help you with that." Barbara laughed a little.

"I think I've got that under control." She winced a bit at the headache.

"Ok," Dick kissed her cheek. "Feel better. And hey. I don't know what might have set you over the edge- you _don't _drink usually- but I hope you feel better about it. You're better than whatever happened." He smiled reassuringly and walked out of the bathroom, thought for a moment, before putting her coffee mug on the counter in the bathroom for her. He strode out into the hallway, and Damian crashed into him, followed by Stephanie. The three of them toppled over, Dick's face planting firmly in the carpet with Steph's elbow in his temple. "Ow. Guys, ow…"

"Damn it Damian," Steph whined, rolling off of them. She stood up. "He can't protect you forever," she warned, walking away.

"Harley suggested that only one of you could bother me at a time," Damian explained casually, brushing himself off. Dick stood, rubbing his face.

"What, so I'm the base now?" He asked, cocking his head. "That's okay. You can hang out with me until Steph leaves, Harley and I are just going to be hanging out with each other," Dick grinned.

"No thank you," Damian sneered. He escaped into his bedroom.

Walking away, Dick shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn't remember much about being under the fear toxins, but he _did _hear what Crane had said about the Joker. A nagging worry couldn't escape his mind, that if- God forbid _when_- the Joker escaped again, he'd come after them. After his family. Harley walked around the corner, coming up the stairs, and smiled when she saw him. He didn't notice her, staring at the carpet lost in thought. Harley stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Hello. Can you help me? I'm looking for this man." She smiled at him. "He's an acrobat, cop, and even a vigilante," she whispered. "Tends to get a bit distracted though, but I love him so much. I just can't seem to find him anywhere."

Dick blinked slowly, as if finally registering that she stood in front of him. "Harley," he breathed. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" he bit his lip worriedly. "I didn't- I wasn't paying attention."

"Oh there he is." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And worried too. No surprise."

Dick smiled a little, taking her hand. "Harley… what if he escapes?" he bit his lip, squeezing her thin fingers in his.

"He can't," Harley breathed. "Not when we're finally happy."

"You're right," Dick nodded, looking down. He mentally scolded himself for even bringing it up. "Sorry, Harles, this whole thing just has me jumpy. I'll feel better when he's behind bars for good."

"Me too," she admitted, moving into his arms. Dick held her tight, his hand stroking her hair gently. Sighing, he smiled.

"We'll be just fine," he grinned, trying to reassure her.

"We always are." She buried her face in his shoulder.


	46. Richard John Grayson Wayne

_**He wanted it.**_

_**No, he demanded it. The Joker demanded that his case be taken to trial, even if he's more than sure of the outcome. Guilty by means of insanity. If he was crazy, then where was Harley? She seems fine now, so what's her excuse? Ha!**_

_**It's all a show. Dick is called to testify, and it seems to be just what he wanted. It's an act, a way to get his face in front of the public, to show what he can do. And they don't even know what that is yet. But they will. Soon. HehehehahahaHAHAHAHA!**_

_So many people, so many…_ Joker wore a heavy bulletproof vest as he propped his feet up, leaning back in his chair on the witness stand, though he didn't know _why_. He'd asked three times and gotten the same answer: 'for safety'. _No one in this city will kill me_, he thought, smiling at his audience. He suddenly sat up so quickly that he nearly toppled over the edge of the stand, dramatically putting a hand up over his eyes as if scanning the horizon from a crows nest. Pain and hatred and fear glared back at him. Grinning, the Joker waved at the citizens and then relaxed back into his seat. _She'll be here. My Harley knows that she has to be here._

Thin fingers tapped the oak surface of the stand, and he examined them; even without the makeup to emphasize it, his skin was deathly white. The makeup was for show. A little white paint, A little shading and scarlet tinting, some green hair dye- it was all to emphasize the character. Without it, his skin remained corpse-like, with dark lips standing out against his stark and hollow face. Green eyes pierced from under dark brows, and his hair, once soft and brown, was stained green like the foliage of a pond, smoothed back as neatly as he could make it. Two loose curls hung in front of his forehead, and he tugged at the emerald hairs. _All this_, he thought with a chuckle, _because of one quick chemical dip._ At the hands of the Batman. That order loving freak had ruined his life. Him and his Boy Wonder, that _Dick Grayson_, who'd testified against him not too long ago.

_When I escape again, he'll be the first._

"Now," his lawyer said, pulling his focus. "Will you please state your name for the record?"

"Um, full name?" he put a finger to his lip thoughtfully.

"Yes. For the court please."

Joker leaned close to the microphone. "Richard John Grayson Wayne," he quipped, in a near perfect imitation.

"Mr. Grayson has already testified," his lawyer was unamused. "Will you please state your name for the record?"

"What is it you usually call me?" Joker laughed. Everyone in the courtroom was visibly unsettled. "'John Doe' is it? Just call me _Joe._"

"Fine. You have been held in Blackgate prison for the past few weeks leading up to this trial, is that correct?"

"Yes, I stayed there. Quite pleasant," Joker replied, folding his hands in his lap.

"And you know why you're here, correct?" His lawyer paced across the front of his table.

"Because you all think that I killed some people," he replied docily, bending his head.

"Did you kill these people?"

"My my, you'll have to be specific," his green eyes flicked up, narrowing a bit. "Who?"

"Let's work our way backwards shall we? Did you kill Black Canary and Green Arrow? And attempt to kill Hal Jordan and Nightwing?"

Joker grinned. "Green Arrow, who cares about him? Jordan, excuse me- Green Lantern- of course. Canary and Nightwing? Could have been two birds but of _course_ that damn kid had to ruin everything. Why don't I save you the trouble? I killed them all. Am I allowed to take credit for someone else's murders?" he asked, cocking his head a bit. His lawyer ignored the final comment.

"And did you plan on killing the _entire_ population of the world?"

"Ha!" Joker laughed, leaning back in his chair. "Who would I have had to play with then? Honestly, do you think I plan that far? When I plan things, I literally write 'Batman stops you' at the end before it's finished." He cackled, shaking his head.

"You planned to have Batman stop you?"

"I _don't _plan. Keep up, would you? That would completely and utterly defeat the purpose of the chaos." Joker shook his head again. "I was making things up as I went along. I mean, what did you expect? I'm insane, aren't I?"

"So your goal was chaos?" His lawyer turned around facing the courtroom.

"Is there anything else in this world to live for?" he asked calmly.

"A good joke," his lawyer offered with a half smile. "So you were not mentally sound during any of your crimes?"

"Well I don't know, now do I? My psychologist betrayed me and went AWOL," Joker frowned irritably, his fists clenching on his legs.

"In your opinion then," the lawyer offered. Joker chuckled softly, his eyes settling on Harley sitting in the audience over the lawyer's shoulder. He flashed a grin, a laugh starting quietly and then escalating until it echoed in the courtroom. He leaned over the stand, nearly toppling over it again. She was sitting beside _him_, the police officer, the Nightwing- _Dick Grayson._ Joker stared directly at him, completely ignoring his lawyer.

"I can't _wait _to get my hands on you!" he suddenly shouted, the chains of his handcuffs rattling against the stand as he laughed. "Screw the jokes, I'll stab you in the throat next time, and she'll watch!" Dick turned his head quickly, shuddering as the audience stirred uneasily, the noise rising in the courtroom.

"I'm going to take that as a yes," his lawyer said calmly, using the momentary distraction of the opposing council. "What are you so upset about? Still causing chaos?"

Joker leveled a finger at Dick, grinning darkly. "The next body you find in the streets will be Richard John Grayson Wayne." The bailiffs moved to restrain him, and he saw Harley grab Dick's hand.

"As your lawyer, I must request that you not make threats."

"Well fine, then I won't make threats." Joker held up his hands, smiling as he sat back. "The Scarecrow was me, as well. Crane died by my hand." He watched Harley, still grinning. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"You already testified you were in Blackgate. How could you have killed Jonathan Crane?" His lawyer paced along the jury box.

"Movie magic," Joker laughed excitedly, clapping his hands. "I own this town. This is _my _performance. But even the greatest actors need _stunt doubles_ every now and again," he cocked his head, staring at Harley. "And extras. And co-stars. I hate to say it, but I miss having a partner in crime. My… clown princess." He grinned. He could see the visible distress on Harley's face.

"Your clown princess?" The lawyer seemed completely unfazed. "Would you be talking about Dr. Harleen Quinzel otherwise known as Harley Quinn?"

"The love of my life, lost before I could tell her," Joker said quietly. He wasn't smiling anymore, and he seemed to be genuinely hurt.

"And did losing her drive you to commit insane acts?"

He sighed longingly. "Losing her drove me to fewer insane acts than before. When we were together, I could kill almost six people a day. I still don't think the GCPD has found all of them." Joker smiled up at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused.

"As your lawyer I must request that you don't admit to more crimes."

Joker looked at him in exasperation. "Doesn't it just prove I'm more crazy!? I take full credit for her murders too, since I 'drove her insane'," Joker made air quotes with his fingers, rolling his eyes.

"And did she commit many murders?"

"Objection!" The prosecuting lawyer stood up. "Relevance."

"He admitted to this being a part of his insanity," the Joker's lawyer easily replied. "I am merely poking into the matter further." The judge looked at both lawyers, nodding slowly.

"Overruled. The accused will answer."

"And who are _you_ to say that I'll answer?" Joker crossed his arms petulantly, smothering a laugh.

"Do not mock these proceedings," the judge warned. Joker narrowed his eyes.

"Coming from the authority figure in a dress." He huffed and turned to his lawyer. "No. On the contrary, my princess _didn't _commit 'many' murders. She did commit some. Her latest having been cutting my heart out," his eyes settled on Harley again.

"Would you say you are more sane without her now?" his lawyer pried.

"Unfortunately…" he hesitated, narrowing his eyes. "...for you, no. She complimented me in a way she never will anyone else. I know it."

"So you're more likely to act out now?"

"Oh yes. Against very… _choice _people," a slow smile spread across his face. Dick's jaw tightened, and he draped his arm over her shoulders.

"And the only way to keep people safe is to lock you up?"

"You can't lock me up. And you can't keep them safe. Don't you people ever learn? I'll take a breather at Arkham, get back on my feet, and then I'll kill him." Joker giggled, looking at Dick. He flinched away from his gaze, closing his eyes.

"You assume you'll escape?" his lawyer asked.

"Assumption is being certain of something to happen, _without _proof. I think I've proved more times than one that I can escape. Arkham is a nice little summer home, but I much prefer Gotham streets to a cell." Joker yawned. "I'm torn between murdering him outright, and torturing him for days until he starves or bleeds out," he looked at Dick thoughtfully. "That pretty face would look so very nice with a scar in it. Or filleted clean off-"

"-Objection!" The opposing lawyer stood again. "Narrative. I ask that everything from 'I'm torn between' be stricken from the record."

"Sustained," the judge agreed. "It will be stricken."

"I believe I have proved my case to his insanity," the Joker's lawyer said, returning to his seat. "The defense rests."

"Prosecution," the judge waved, "you're witness. And let's keep this civil." The lawyer stood. He was young, thrown onto this losing case, but kept his cool.

"So, Joe," he started, putting his hands in his pockets, "your defense has not turned in a psych evaluation for you. Why is that?"

"Because my very intelligent, very beautiful, trollop of a psychologist ran off with an egotistical police officer with a hero complex," Joker said matter of factly, still staring at Dick.

"But we're all here to prove you're insane. Now we only have our psychologist to go off of, and that seems a bit unfair don't you think?" The lawyer watched him carefully, not bothering to see who he was looking at.

"I _would_ like the attention," he sneered. "But one doctor seems to be enough."

"You are usually required. We just have your word, and you could easily be lying. Aren't you worried our psychologist fudged facts?"

"Not particularly," Joker laughed. "They do it all the time." He leaned forward, looking directly at the lawyer. He then glanced over his shoulder at Harley. "Do you want to know what _really _happens at Arkham?"

"And what is that?" the lawyer complied. Joker's lawyer didn't even look like he was paying attention.

"An entire buffet of experiments and inhumane things that would put the place out of business," Joker leaned back. "But don't take my word for it, I'm a liar."

"Not my best segue," the lawyer smirked, "but speaking of your insanity and your psychologist, your last one turned out to be your accomplice did she not?"

"Accomplice, partner, _lover-_" he looked pointedly at Dick, who again looked away uncomfortably- "she was everything."

"So we really can't trust any of your psychological evaluations from her if she was… your _everything_, now can we?"

"Oh, she was a perfectly competent psychologist." Joker shrugged, leaning forward.

"So you trust her evaluation of you, is that correct?"

"I suppose I do," he said quietly, and then grinned. "After all, she did work rather _extensively_ on me." Joker broke into a peal of laughter.

"Your honor I was asking for a simple yes or no." The lawyer turned toward the judge. He nodded waving his hand.

"Yes, yes. Noted. His extraneous response will be stricken."

"Thank you." The lawyer turned back to the Joker. "If you trust her opinion of you, then you must agree this is correct." He pulled out a file from the stack of papers on his table. "If the jury could look at Exhibit D. I am paraphrasing from page six for future reference," he added. "Now in here Miss Quinzel mentions that Harley Quinn, who is incidentally _her_, is in love with you, the Joker. However, she continues on stating that the Joker's affection, your affection, of Harley Quinn is doubtful. Do you agree?"

"Now you keep scratching my good lines from the script," Joker pouted, still watching Dick. He met his eyes for a moment and then Dick looked away, his arm tightening around Harley's shoulders. "Objection. What the hell does this have to do with me being insane?" The Joker looked up at the judge, propping his feet up on the stand.

"Only your lawyer can raise objections," the judge sighed.

"Oh yes, objection," his lawyer waved it off.

"You will stand when objecting," the judge snapped. The lawyer reluctantly stood. "Good. And the prosecution's argument?"

"The defense repeatedly brought up the connection of Miss Quinzel to Joe's insanity over here. Further more, this is cross. All questions are allowed."

The judge nodded. "Overruled. Accused will answer." Joker's lawyer sank back into his chair.

"You're starting to try my patience, boy," Joker hissed.

"You chose to take the stand under oath and are thus required to answer any and all questions," the judge warned him. "This is my courtroom, and you will behave."

"Do you need me to repeat the question?" the lawyer asked Joker, amused.

"What will you do if I don't answer?" Joker half-rose out of his seat. "This is your courtroom, in a city that I _own_," he hissed. Grinning, he sat down in his chair again. "I agree that my affection was doubtful. At first. After time, however, she fascinated me as much as I did her," Joker smiled lovingly at Harley in her seat.

"So what," the lawyer crossed his arms across his chest, "you committed crimes out of love? Is that what you're saying?"

"Well how else can I get her attention?" Joker waved his hand. "Yoo-hoo, Harley. Look at me, Darling. You aren't watching." The courtroom shifted nervously, looking around, but the lawyer didn't even flinch.

"She admitted herself into Arkham, at one point, right?"

"How should I know?"

"And reports say you killed Miss Quinn that night at Arkham, despite recent developments to the contrary. Did you?"

"I attempted." Joker smiled.

"And when she came back from the dead, so to speak," the lawyer paced toward the stand a bit, "she betrayed you correct? Sided with your enemies?"

Joker's smile faded slowly, and he sat back in his chair. "Yes," he said quietly. His voice was calm, controlled- with a hint of amusement. _Let's see where this leads before I kill you… _

"That's a lot of trouble from someone you… have affections for," the lawyer commented just loud enough for the courtroom to hear. "Seems to me your actions were out of a broken heart not insanity, no?" He paused in front of the jury box, looking up at the Joker.

"Well played, sir, well played," Joker smirked, clapping slowly. "No matter how good a lawyer you are, however, you won't be able to justify all of my crimes with that. You're good, but you'll have to do better. I could give you an example," he yawned, crossing his arms. He glanced over Harley's shoulder, a grin spreading over his lips.

"And what example is that?"

"A crime. I'll murder someone in this room, within the next minute. I suppose you could call that something like me trying to make it _look _like it's not murder at the fault of a broken heart, but all that matters is _I know _it's not true. And you'll be dead…" he sang the last few words, not looking at the lawyer. His eyes had settled on Dick again.

"Our own psychologist testified that you were crazy." The lawyer watched him carefully. "Numerous witness all say the same thing. I would have to be more than good to get away with that line of reasoning. This conversation is relatively pointless. The real question is why you're here? For a show? For a murder?"

"Murder _is _a performance. Whether it's a show of power, of fear, of weakness, of obsession, of _hatred-_" Joker laughed- "it's all just a show. This, for instance, will be a show of hatred. Or mild irritation, no need to blow it out of proportion."

"So a show." The lawyer tapped the rail of the jury box. "I don't think there are any more arguments I could make, so I guess the only pleasure I can have is denying you what you want. No further questions, your honor," he told the judge.

"Can I ask what you mean by 'denying me what I want'?" Joker asked, half standing. He leaned over the stand, cocking his head. The judge looked on in disapproval, but let the lawyer answer.

"Well what you want is an audience, and your lawyer doesn't look like he has anything else to say," he glanced at the bored lawyer leaning his head on his hands. "So the show's over, and you go back to your cell."

"Oh the _show _is just getting started." Joker straightened to his full height, grinning ghoulishly. "My example is set now, let the record show, on this day. This city is mine. Batman cannot save you all now, and when I return, I will raze it like I should have long ago. And then I'll build my throne out of the corpses of your heroes, with Batman sliced to ribbons and Nightwing's head on a stake." Joker raised his hand slowly, pressing his middle finger and thumb together. He began laughing, and as he snapped his fingers, something hit the lawyer at a deadly speed, directly in the temple. His eyes went vacant and he dropped to the floor; screams erupted in the audience as people stood.

"Bailiffs, contain him!" the judge cried. Two rushed over to the Joker as the third scanned the room. The Joker watched as Dick grabbed Harley protectively, shielding her as he looked around. His crazed laughter rose above the panic in the room as people rushed to cover the body of the dead lawyer. A figure in a black hoodie rushed from the room.

"We should get out of here, Harles," Dick whispered, his lips close to her ear. She could feel his arms tight around her. "You shouldn't even be here, they could arrest you." He began making his way toward the door. She held tight to him.

"Definitely a terrible idea," Harley agreed quietly, keeping her head down. "One of our worst." Dick pulled her along, keeping her head down. By the time they broke onto the street, the hooded figure had already disappeared into the foot traffic outside of the Gotham courthouse. "Next time you get summoned," she told him, "ignore it and don't go to court."

"Agreed," he said. Dick bit his lip, still completely unsettled at everything that the Joker had said. The looming trial had been the only dark spot on their perfect time. When it finally came, Harley had insisted on coming with him for support. Dick hadn't been able to say no. Now he wished neither of them had been there.

"I guess it was too much to hope that he wouldn't notice us," Harley whispered, following him along.

"I guess I expected it," Dick muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"You expected murder in the courtroom? Because that was a big shock to me." She glanced up at him, hoping to get him out of his foul mood.

"No, I expected him to be like that. Spiteful. I expected it to be aimed at me. I just didn't realize how much…" Dick trailed off, biting his lip. _How much it would terrify me._

"Stop." Harley pulled him to a halt. "He can't get to us." She looked up at him. "He can throw all the party tricks and temper tantrums he wants, but he won't get to us."

"He won't get to us," Dick repeated, biting his lip again, his brow still furrowed.

"Besides, he'd be too scared." She smiled. "He knows Damian would come after him."

Dick laughed, his smile finally breaking across his face. "Okay, Harles, you're right," he shook his head, taking her hand. "You're right." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm always right."


	47. We'll Miss You, Kid

_**She knows.**_

_**Harley knows that when they arrive home, someone will be there to check up on them. After the incident in the courtroom, how could they not? Whether or not he's reporting back to Bruce is unclear, but seeing Jason's face is refreshing.**_

_**In their non-crazy life, however, Dick has made yet another bold decision. He's decided it's time. Using his arm as a good cover-story, it's time to retire from the Gotham City Police Department. But can he survive one last task? One last… party?**_

"I will bet you ten dollars that someone is there when we get home," Harley challenged, glancing over at Dick. He was staring out the windshield. She glanced forward again, seeing their house come into view down the street. It made her smile every time she saw it. They'd closed all of the final sale items and officially moved in over week ago. With everyone helping them move it, the two of them had been living alone with only a few visits for a week.

"I really hope you're wrong, so much so that I will take that bet," Dick finally said, driving up the alleyway and pulling his brand new car into the garage. He got out and helped Harley out of her seat, his hand in hers. When Dick unlocked the garage door into the house, Jason was standing in the kitchen with a glass of water and a sandwich, the condiments and bread strewn all over the countertop. Dick groaned and pulled out his wallet, giving Harley a ten. "Jay…" he said in exasperation, as his two dogs sprinted up to him, barking loudly. Dick knelt to play with them, grinning.

"Come on," Harley said, pocketing the money. "You got threatened by the Joker, and someone died. How did you think someone wouldn't be here?" She smiled at Jason. "I just didn't think it would be you." She started clearing up his mess.

"Well the trial sounded fun. Everyone is still panicking on the news." Jason pointed at the TV in the living room.

"The guy dropped dead with no warning. How did they say it happened on the news?" Dick asked. "I remember hearing a snap. And not the Joker snapping his fingers, it was a _crack_ almost." He cried out as the bigger of the two dogs leapt at his face, knocking him against the cabinets. He laughed.

"A quarter," Jason said matter-of-factly. "He was hit in the temple with a coin so forcefully that it killed him."

Dick stared at him incredulously. "Well who the hell could do that?" The smaller of the two dogs snuffed at Jason's shoes.

"Hold onto your sandwich," Harley warned him. "But that's impossible without super strength or a machine or something, right?" she asked, putting the mayo away in the fridge.

"I suppose. And incredible accuracy. Anyone under the Joker's employ has got to be a baddie, so I'll check my contacts," Jason smirked, feeding the dog some of his sandwich.

"How did he get a hold of this person?" Harley mused aloud, swatting away a dog tail that kept whipping her. "Did they meet while in Blackgate?"

"Or has this person been with him all along?" Jason shrugged. "Hard to tell."

"I guess digging will give me something to do tonight." Harley shrugged. "I'm assuming you're going out." She smiled at Dick.

"Yeah I suppose. I'll have to go out late though, we've got that damn party to go to." He ran a hand through his hair, sitting on the floor with his dogs laying all over him.

"Party?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," Dick sighed, scratching behind the smaller dog's ears, a Blue Heeler puppy. "Will and Gordon organized a sort of 'going away' party for me, because I quit my job at the station."

Jason whistled. "You quit your job? Are we sure that's a good idea with a baby on the way? What are you going to do, live off of your trust fund from Bruce?"

"No," Dick smirked at him. "I still have my job at the circus, I'm not trusting anyone else to run it anymore. And at least I _have _a job."

"Hey, I live free of Bruce's cash," Jason held his hands up. "I _do_ have a job."

"Robbery doesn't count."

"It's not! It's a legitimate job, just like you, big bro." Jason leaned against the counter.

"You got a job? What is it?" Harley offered him a glass of water. He turned it down, holding up the glass he'd gotten for himself before they'd gotten home.

"I flip burgers at a restaurant in Downtown Gotham," he smiled. Dick stared at him and then burst into laughter. Jason's cheeks reddened. "Screw you, Dick, it's a job."

"Well good for you," Harley told him. "Way to turn your life around. I can only assume you're still with Ivy then." Harley grinned.

"Well, um," he stammered.

"Oh, don't lie to me," Harley laughed. "You two turning each other into decent human- well not human- but beings?"

"Shut up," he snapped.

"Hey, you came into our house. You should have expected to be hassled about your love life… and flipping burgers."

"How was I supposed to expect that?" he demanded. "I'm just being a good samaritan and making sure no one's dead."

"Thanks for your concern, Jay," Dick laughed as the Blue Heeler licked his face. "But we're doing just fine."

"I can tell." He whistled for effect looking around the kitchen. "I bet Alfred's proud of this place."

"Come on, Jay!" Dick whined. "I haven't relied on Alfred to clean up after me in, like… a year at least. Give me some more credit than that."

"I give Harley some credit," Jason snorted. "This place would be a wreck. You and two dogs? Disaster."

"Leave them alone," Dick put his hands over the puppy's ears, who promptly tried to bite his hands. Dick giggled. "They didn't do anything to you. Did you, babies!?" he asked, laughing as both dogs enthusiastically attacked him again, tails whipping against cabinets.

"You three are ridiculous," Harley sighed. "Honestly," she told Jason, "I'm going to wake up one day and he'll be a dog."

"If I was a dog I'd want to be a Lab. Or a Greyhound, because those things are awesome." Dick looked up at her, grinning. "I'll bet you'd look like Lady from that Disney movie."

"You are not getting more dogs," she complained.

"Better watch out," Jason elbowed her. "He's wanted a horse since he was… lets see… nineteen." He laughed, walking to the door. "Thanks for the lunch I wouldn't be able to afford anywhere else. I'll see you guys later."

"It was great to see you. Tell Red I say hello," she called after him. She turned back to Dick. "Was it a unicorn? Did you want a unicorn?" She grinned.

"What? No, I just wanted a horse, and Bruce wouldn't get me one." He stood, brushing dog fur off of his jacket. They still wandered around his feet expectantly. "We should get ready for the party, we're going next door at six. Will's hosting."

"Well at least Lilly will be there." She headed into the living room and flicked off the TV. "And I still bet it was a unicorn."

"Well it wasn't. I stopped believing in unicorns when I was fifteen," he dropped onto the couch, his dogs leaping up onto the cushion beside him. "Hey guys," he laughed, the puppy snuggling into his side.

"Why are they on the couch? And didn't you say to get ready?" Harley pointed the remote at him. Dick groaned, leaning his head back.

"Can't this just be my 'ready'?" he asked, gesturing to his casual clothes. "And why can't they be on the couch?!"

"Because then they'll be on the bed, and you already take up three fourths of it. And no. This party is for you; at least look a little decent." Dick groaned again, pushing the dogs off of the couch as he slouched into the cushion.

"If I take a shower will you join me?" he grinned, poking her in the side.

"Why don't you ask one of the dogs?" she countered.

"Don't be silly, Harley, dogs don't speak English," he replied, rubbing the Blue Heeler's ear. "Besides. Wally's afraid of water."

"Oh I know that. I'm the one who has to give him a bath." She scratched Wally's stomach as his tongue lolled out.

"You still didn't veto me on the shower," Dick pointed out, his eyes shining.

"Well you're still on the couch with the dogs." Harley winked at him, walking away toward their bedroom. Dick stared after her, and then leapt up. Wally whined and Dick glanced over his shoulder, shushing him as he followed Harley up the stairs.

Will pounded on their front door an hour and a half later. Dick hadn't answered his calls, and the other guests were arriving.

"Dick!" he called, knocking again. After the third time, he finally heard his former partner stumble to the door. The lock clicked and he opened it, leaning his head out.

"Um, is it time already?" he asked, biting his lip. Will rolled his eyes.

"Try ten minutes ago. Come on. You weren't even answering my calls."

"I was busy." Dick's pale blue shirt was unbuttoned halfway down his chest and his hair stuck in every direction, his belt hanging from the loops, unbuckled.

"Yes I see that," Will laughed. "Maybe try getting ready seperately, so you can _actually_ make it to your party."

"We'll be- we'll make it," Dick smoothed his hair, tucking his shirt in. "We'll be right over." With a smile, he closed the door and then leaned his back against it, a lone lamp in the living room lighting his surroundings.

"Was that Will?" Harley called down the stairs. "We're late aren't we?"

"Only a little," Dick smiled and closed his eyes, content just listening to her voice. "It's fine."

"For me." Harley's laugher trickled down the stairs. "I'm pregnant; they'll forgive me."

"Well I doubt anyone will care that we're late," Dick commented, buttoning and straightening his shirt and combing his fingers through his hair. "Now come on, Sweetheart, we're going to be late."

"We already are," she muttered, hopping down the stairs. "I can't make it much worse." She grinned, stopping on the final step.

"You actually _could_ if you really wanted to," Dick smiled. On the bottom step, she was just a little taller than he was, and he leaned his head up to kiss her slowly. "It's not like I want to go to the party at all."

"Now don't say that," Harley warned him, giving him another quick kiss. "I'm in the second trimester now. Lot's more energy." She draped her arms over his shoulders.

"I'm looking forward to that," he smiled, his hands on her waist. "Come on, we should go." Dick slid an arm around her waist and led her to the door, locking it behind him as they stepped out onto the porch. They'd moved in about a week ago, and Dick was still having trouble finding anything wrong with the house. It was perfect. Taking Harley's hand, he led her across their lawn and to the Collins' front door. Harley rang the bell.

"There you two are," Molly sighed, opening the door to let them in after a few short seconds. "About time." Lilly ran to Dick for him to scoop her up in his arms.

"Sorry Molly. We really are." Harley flashed her a smile. Dick put his arm around Harley.

"It's really nice to see you, Molly. Where's the food?" he asked, and Harley hit his chest.

"Stop it," she laughed. Dick beamed lovingly at her.

"I have snacks and drinks over there. The rest of the party is in the dining room and the kitchen," she smiled, clasping her hands. Her dark hair was swept to the side, pinned there with a little silver clip. Lilly hung off of Dick's neck, giggling. He made a conscious effort to not use his left arm very much, and he held Lilly with his right. "It's so good to see you okay," she smiled.

Dick kissed Lilly's cheek, tickling her as she giggled and squirmed. "Come play Frozen with me!" she cried, and Dick laughed.

"No honey, sorry. I've got to go hang out with your dad," he shrugged. Putting Lilly down, Dick walked into the kitchen. He was greeted by smiles and congratulations from his fellow officers. Commissioner Gordon put a hand on his 'good' shoulder.

"We'll miss you, kid. You were a hell of a cop."

"I'm going to miss having to save your neck all the time." Will elbowed him.

"Yeah, well. I'll miss you guys too." Dick smiled. "And you weren't _always _saving my neck. It was mutual," he laughed.

"So you're done saving people then?" Gordon asked with a knowing smile. Dick went a bit pale.

"I suppose, Commissioner," he replied as Lilly tugged on his arm, spinning around him. She shoved her Elsa doll into his arms and a hair brush.

"I'll be back," she twittered before running off. Dick smiled. He didn't personally know very many of the officers there, but he did appreciate that they'd come. He knew that he'd miss being a police officer, at least a little.

"Thanks for the party, Will," Dick smiled and looked at his partner. "It's nice. To be… I don't know. It's nice knowing that I'll be missed."

"Oh I won't miss you. I'm going to be forced to see you just as often, _neighbor_." Will smiled.

"Will," Molly scolded, swatting his arm as she stopped beside him. Harley laughed as she joined Dick, looping her arm through his.

"We'll probably be over here all the time, asking for help," Dick laughed. "Experienced parents right next door? It was luck."

"We can play all the time!" Lilly cried, scampering up with her arms full of Barbies. She gave two to Harley and offered some to her mother.

"Lilly, Dick and Harley can play later, okay?" Her mother squatted down beside her.

"Tell you what," Harley smiled down at Lilly, "we'll bring the puppy over for you to play with tomorrow." Lilly squealed in delight, snatching back all of her dolls, and disappeared back into her room. "She gets cuter every day."

"You only see her during the good times," Will laughed.

"Wait until yours is born," Gordon added looking at Dick. "Especially if it's a girl. You two are in for it."

"I don't know," Harley mused. "I think we'll be in more trouble if we have another little Wayne boy running around."

"God, I can't imagine what a little Dick would be like," Will smirked, nudging Dick. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not that bad, come on!" he complained, smiling.

"Well, I'll put it this way," Harley smirked, "I'm glad _I_ didn't have to raise you." Molly laughed.

"How is the pregnancy?" Gordon asked. Harley was wearing a sundress with a ribbon tying it at her ribs so that it flowed loosely to her knees, hiding her stomach.

"Everything's fine. Nothing abnormal according to the doctor, Besides," Harley glanced at Dick. "You would know if anything was wrong because he would be freaking out." She elbowed him playfully.

"She thinks I worry too much, but I am perfectly sane. I worry the right amount." Dick rolled his eyes, and then was distracted when someone called his name.

Dick wandered around the party for the rest of the night, talking to the people he knew. Lilly trailed after him, and then she sat on his lap when the majority of the party moved into the living room. Will and the other officers spent the rest of the evening telling stories about Dick; Harley gathered that he was a daring- one could almost call it _reckless_- cop, with a selfless attitude. She heard two separate stories, one from Will, the other from Gordon, about Dick literally taking a bullet for them. Of course he had on a vest in the stories, but the way the other officers described his relaxed way of preparing for the job, Harley found herself doubting it. As everyone talked and laughed around Harley, she completely forgot about the Joker this morning, letting it slip her mind as she laughed along with them.


	48. We're Your Family Now

_**It's a perfect day.**_

_**Taking a trip to Wayne Manor, Dick and Harley spend some quality time with his family. Their family, now. Little does Harley know that they've had something planned from the beginning, and all they needed was for her to arrive.**_

_**Damian is beginning to open up. Bruce and Selina are closer than ever, and all of the brothers and sisters are there to witness Harley's official welcoming into the family. Bruce is the last man she'd expect acceptance from, but maybe she misjudged him. Maybe they misjudged each other.**_

The next day, Harley and Dick drove to Wayne Manor. Dick opened the back door of his car to let his dogs run out, barking away into the yard as they sprinted around his ankles. Holding Harley's hand, Dick led her to the front door. It opened before he could even raise a hand to knock.

"Master Dick!" Alfred cried, a smile spreading across his face. "Come in, come in, everyone is in the parlor." Dick's dogs ran through his legs and away into the house. Titus's gruff barking came from the parlor, and a moment later he sprinted away after the other two canines. Dick laughed. "I do hope your dogs are toilet trained," Alfred muttered bitterly. Dick clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah Alfred, it's okay. They'll be fine."

"Miss Harley, how are you? Everything going well?" Alfred asked as he walked alongside them toward the parlor.

"I'm doing just fine Alfred." She smiled at him. "How are you?"

"Not as young as I used to be," he replied with a small smile. "Though I am still equipped to handle things like this."

They turned the corner into the parlor, just as a book went soaring past the door. It nailed Tim in the back of the head, causing him to cry out in pain; at least it stopped his singing. He'd been belting out _Pour Some Sugar on Me_ before Damian had launched his book at him. Tim rubbed the back of his head and glared at Damian, who was nestled cross-legged in an armchair in the corner with a teacup balanced neatly on his knee.

Stephanie grabbed Tim's arm, preventing him from attacking Damian. Jason stood with Ivy near Cassandra and Barbara, the three of them talking by the windows, and Selina shushed everyone when Dick and Harley came in.

"Shhhh! Everyone calm down. They're here!" She beamed at Harley, gracefully leaping up from the couch where she'd been seated beside Bruce. Tight jeans emphasized her slender legs, and a lightweight, blindingly white blouse hung down off of her thin frame. "Hello Dear!" Selina smiled, taking Harley's hands. "Can I get you anything to drink? Eat?"

Harley laughed. "I'm fine thank you." She squeezed Selina's hands.

"Good," Selina beamed, enormous diamond earrings sparkling in her ears. She pulled Harley over to the couch and sat her down, still grinning broadly as she sat beside her.

"What's going on?" Harley asked nervously, glancing around. "Why is everyone here? Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine," Barbara assured her, pushing Dick down on the couch on Harley's other side. Stephanie dropped onto the floor, propping her head on her hands, and Tim sat in the armchair beside her. "We just wanted to congratulate you."

"Congratulate me?" Harley eyed Barbara. "Anything new I'm supposed to know about?"

"No, of course not. We're all just very excited about the baby," she gestured around at the family gathered in the parlor. Bruce, Jason, Damian and Tim looked bored. "So we got you a few presents, Alfred made a cake… It's not a big deal, but it's a pretty big deal," she giggled. Harley laughed.

"You threw me a baby shower."

"It's not an official baby shower," Steph clarified, but she grinned anyway. "Have you guys learned anything new about the baby? Do you know what it is?"

"No. Doctor's don't test for that yet." Harley couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm around her. "But our doctor was a bit confused by some of the tests we were having her run. Checking about the Antitoxin and all."

"I'm sure it's insanely fun torturing a doctor like that," Jason leaned against the back of the couch Bruce was on. Dick shook his head.

"Besides, I want the gender to be a surprise. It's more fun that way!" he squeezed Harley's hand.

"Haven't there been enough surprises?" Harley countered. They'd been arguing this for a week.

"The Antitoxin isn't going to complicate the birth, is it?" Ivy asked, fiddling with the buckle on Jason's jacket.

"No, it should be fine. Just a few extra precautions according to the doctor," Harley assured her.

"Do you guys have names picked out?" Steph demanded, glancing between Harley and Dick. Dick smiled at Harley, her hand held in his and resting on his leg.

"We've actually picked Bruce Grayson," he looked around. "As a boy's name. We've been arguing about a name for a girl." Bruce glanced at them in surprise as Selina grabbed his arm, beaming.

"You're such a suck up," Jason told him, tossing an ice cube from his drink at Dick's head.

"No! I'm not! I owe everything I am to Bruce." Dick smiled wanly at his mentor.

"We were actually considering the middle name Jason," Harley added.

"What?" Tim gasped, before Harley burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing?! That's a great middle name," Jason tried to sell them.

"Bruce Jason Grayson is just _begging _for the child to be bullied mercilessly," Damian spat from the corner.

"But he would totally kick ass," Jason countered.

"You know what name has a ring to it?" Tim mused. "Timothy."

"Bruce Timothy," Dick said thoughtfully. Damian shot out of his chair furiously.

"I'm closer to you than the other ones!" Damian cried.

"Shut up, all of you!" Selina barked at them, and then smiled at Harley.

"Wait! I want to give her the first gift," Stephanie cried, shoving an egg carton into Harley's hands.

"Eggs?" Harley asked, looking at her skeptically.

"No open it!" Stephanie laughed, grinning. When Harley opened up the carton, twelve pairs of brightly colored baby socks were rolled up in the slots.

"Thank you," Harley laughed; she gave Steph a hug. "Look," she passed it to Dick, "more socks for Wally to drag about the house."

"Hey, he doesn't drag _my _socks around the house." Dick countered.

"That's because your feet stink," Harley told him. Steph grinned.

"Tim and I both bought the socks. I wrapped them. Since we're both broke kids," she elbowed Tim, and he snorted. Selina pushed a box into Harley's hands.

"Mine next," she beamed. "Mine and Bruce's." Harley tore it open and tugged at the tape on the box.

"Oh." Jason pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket and flicked it open, handing it to Harley to cut the tape. Inside the box was a sleek black and silver diaper bag, with a matching foldable changing mat and a soft black blanket.

"And look!" Selina cried, pulling the blanket out. "I've been trying to sew lately, Alfred has been teaching me." She held up one corner, where a small hood with bat ears had been sewn carefully in.

"Why did no one get me one of these as a child?" Harley demanded, holding it up by her face. Selina clapped, beaming proudly. Dick laughed.

"It looks great, Selina," he said gently, and then pulled a mug out of the box. He looked up at Bruce, who smirked at him. Painted on the mug was _#1 Dad_.

"Here, Harley!" Cass tossed a box, and Harley caught it. This present held practical things; like an assortment of cabinet locks and outlet protectors. Cass shrugged. "Can never be too careful."

"Hey look, Dick! Safety items so you don't have to worry as much." Harley smirked at him. Dick scowled in return.

"She's right, you can never be too careful." Jason nudged Ivy, and with a sigh, she handed a small red wrapped box to Harley.

"This is from Jason and I. He insisted on paying for his half with legitimate money, so technically it's half stolen I suppose." She shrugged, sauntering back to Jason's side.

"Well that's better than I would have guessed from you two." Harley grinned at her friend, not at all perturbed. She tore the paper, and opened the present. "Oh, it's adorable," she cooed. Harley pulled out small, ornate box. A red rose was carved into the top. When Harley opened the lid, a tinkling melody played. It was a familiar tune. Harley and Dick started laughing as the melody to _Because I am Superman_ played.

"I've been told music calms babies," Ivy offered. Harley beamed at her.

"It's great, Red. Really."

"It's lovely," Dick smiled. "Thank you."

Barbara grinned and gave a present to Harley, with a glare at Dick. "These are for _her_. You can't have them." Inside the box was a wide assortment of non-caffeinated teas and imitation coffee in bags. "The coffee stuff actually tastes pretty close to the real stuff, and it's really sweet. All French blends, all completely caffeine free!"

Harley grinned, sifting through the packets. "This is terrific, Barbara, thank you," she laughed. There was a ripping noise before Damian thrust a piece of paper in Harley's face.

"Here," he mumbled, forcing it into her hands. He'd torn a page from his sketchbook, and on it were several quick pencil sketches of Dick and Harley; one of them sitting and talking, another of them laughing and holding each other. The center was mostly taken up with a drawing of Dick dressed as Nightwing and Harley in her Harley Quinn corset. She was hitting him on the back of his head, smiling slightly as he laughed. The last picture was a hastily drawn sketch of the morning in Wayne Manor days ago, when Dick had held Harley up and kissed her stomach. Damian clenched his jaw and spun to walk away.

"Damian," Harley breathed. "These are beautiful." She tilted the paper so Dick could see. Damian froze beside her, his shoulders shooting up to his reddening ears.

"Wow, Dam." Dick smiled. "I didn't know you were such a good artist," he said quietly. Jason nearly fell over as he scrambled toward them.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Jason cried, snatching the paper. "Damian doesn't let _anyone_ see his drawings! How did- holy shit, Damian," Jason stopped, actually looking at the sketches. "Damian you are a really good drawer!"

"Drawer isn't a word, stupid," Cass said, looking over his shoulder. Damian tried to grab the drawings out of Jason's hand, but he passed them to Tim and Steph. Selina leaned closer.

"Oh Damian! Why have you never shown anyone these?" She smiled at him. Tim nodded.

"Even I'll admit that these are awesome," he agreed. Selina delicately took the paper and handed it to Bruce, who examined it closely. Damian had gone from furious and embarrassed to suddenly hesitant. He'd never shown his artwork to anyone, but least of all his father. Redness blossomed over his cheeks.

"These are very good," Bruce said quietly, and Harley noticed Damian's face light at the praise before he pulled the paper out of his father's hands, gave it to Harley, and then rushed back to his armchair in the corner.

"Thank you all so much," Dick smiled, an arm tucked around Harley's shoulders.

"They're all wonderful." Harley surveyed the mess of presents at her feet. "This means a lot to me. Thank you."

"You're part of the family now," Jason winked, tucking his switchblade back into his pocket.

"I hope I'm not too late," a voice said behind them. Dick turned around and stood in surprise.

"Superman," he smiled broadly as Superman stepped into the room, his cape sweeping around his ankles.

"I didn't think America's poster boy could be late," Harley said, standing to greet him.

"Ran into some trouble along the way," Superman smiled, shaking her hand. "I hope I'm not intruding on a family affair, Dick told me about you, and I felt the need to come. Of course I wanted to thank you after your heroic actions at the Hall of Justice."

"It's perfectly alright. Dick considers you like family." Harley offered him a seat. "How are Wonder Woman and Green Lantern?"

"Very well," he smiled. "Thank you. I just wanted to congratulate you and Dick, I don't know that I'll be staying long-"

"-please, Superman." Bruce nodded, and as if Superman had been waiting on Bruce's ok, he sat down in an armchair.

"I brought you this," he gave her the wrapped box in his hand. "A couple of League members put it together." Harley ripped the paper off the lid and pulled it off. She laughed as she pulled the first item out.

"Onesies," she chuckled, showing them the blue baby onesie with a Superman logo on the front. "League baby onesies." She peeked in the box. "I think there's a Batman on in here."

"No Robin!?" Damian cried from the corner.

"Hold on," Harley said, pulling out the Batman one. There was a Robin bib attached to it.

"Aw, what!?" Tim sat up. "We had to be the sidekicks in real life, now we're just the bib!?"

"As it should be," Bruce muttered, hiding a smile as the boys erupted into argument again. Even Dick was fighting. Harley let them, looking through baby outfits. There was Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern among others.

"Here we go." She held up a Nightwing one for Dick to see.

"I had to fly to Japan for that one," Superman said. Dick beamed proudly.

"Thank you, Superman."

"You're very welcome," he smiled as Titus burst through the door, chased by Dick's two dogs, barking and yapping. Titus knocked Damian over and leapt onto the couch beside Bruce. Selina squealed and leapt up, and the other two launched themselves onto Bruce, licking his face and barking.

"Dick! Control your dogs," Bruce demanded.

"Wally! Clark! Heel!" Dick shouted, and both of them immediately jumped down, sitting at his feet. "Sorry, Bruce. They're well trained and smart, but…" he shrugged, petting the Bernese Mountain Dog that he'd addressed as Clark.

"You have a dog named Clark?" Superman asked, watching the dog happily wag its tail.

"Yeah," Dick smiled, picking Wally up and stroking his ears.

"Any particular reason for that name?"

"Nope," Dick winked, putting his dogs down to run out of the room. Damian chased after them, and Titus followed. Superman stood.

"Well then. Thank you for inviting me, but I really could only drop by. I've been busy lately," he smiled ruefully. Bruce rolled his eyes.

"Don't you ever take a break?"

"Coming from you?"

Bruce smiled in return, shaking his head. "Alright, you win. It was nice to see you."

"And nice to see you, too," Superman nodded. He turned to Harley with a smile. "I wish you both all the best. She looks healthy, and I'm happy for you both."

"She?" Harley glanced at Dick. "Me?"

"You too." Superman smiled. Harley gaped, wrapping an arm around her stomach.

"What!?" Dick cried, slapping his hands over his ears.

"A girl?" Harley slowly started to smile. Steph gasped, grasping Tim's arm, and Selina beamed.

"Superman it was supposed to be a surprise!" Dick shouted, before running his hands through his hair. He grinned. "A girl!"

"A little girl," Barbara practically squealed.

"Well, would you look at that Grandbat." Jason clapped Bruce on the shoulder. Bruce looked just as stunned as Dick.

"We're having a girl!" Dick cried, suddenly grabbing Harley around the waist and twirling her around, still beaming proudly.

"Still upset it's not a surprise?" Harley laughed, grinning down at him. Dick smiled and laughed, planting her back on the floor still in his arms, and kissed her gently.

"I'm going to have a niece!" Tim exclaimed.

"I call favorite uncle!" Jason shouted over the buzz of excitement. Bruce still sat on the couch, looking around in surprise. Dick's kiss tapered off, and he rested his forehead against Harley's, still grinning from ear to ear.

"We're having a girl," he repeated, stroking her cheek.

"I'm sorry if I shouldn't have said anything," Superman apologized, a bit shocked at the chaos that had erupted in the room.

"No, no. Only Dick wanted it to be a surprise," Harley assured him, giddy with happiness. Dick nodded, hugging Harley close.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her cheek.

"Dick," Bruce said, drawing his attention away from Harley. Dick's smile faltered, and Bruce put a hand on his shoulder; to his surprise, Bruce smiled. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Dick grinned, and Bruce nodded at Harley.

"To you both."

"She's your grandchild," Harley told him. "So congratulations as well." She smiled. Bruce looked a bit pale.

"It's overwhelming," he smiled. "I think Dick will make a fantastic father. Much better than me, I know. Good job." He put a hand on Dick's shoulder, and he smiled even broader.

"He learned from the best," Harley retorted, and surprised everyone by hugging Bruce. He blinked in surprise, his cheeks going a bit red.

"T-thank you," Bruce stumbled over the words, awkwardly hugging her back. Dick bit his lip, and Jason snorted, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Get used to it," Harley laughed. She took a step back, ignoring his embarrassment. "Your granddaughter is going to need a good family influence from somewhere, and it sure isn't going to be from my family."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," Bruce crossed his hands behind his back. "We're your family now."


	49. Code Twelve

_**The city is ominously quiet.**_

_**Nightwing, Batgirl, Batman, and Robin all head out on patrol, taking different islands of the city. Tonight is also Harley's first night on the job. Still giddy with excitement about her daughter, she does her best at playing their 'Oracle' from the Batcave.**_

_**A call to action to the heroes so spread out could spell disaster for one- if not all- of the parties included. Harley directs them as they all converge on the one, small, barely used island- a final resting place for many, and a fatality for one. **_

"I still don't see why I couldn't have gone with Nightwing," Robin whined.

"Quiet," Batman instructed.

"Why can't he talk?" Harley asked.

"Comms are meant for tactical conversation only," Batman demanded.

"And does that actually happen?" Harley laughed. "Oh, police scanner. There's a…" Harley paused while the transmission came in. She was sitting in the Batcave, her legs crisscrossed beneath her. "Robbery. Jewelry store on Fifth Street. Batgirl is closest."

"I'm on it." Batgirl turned and fired her grappling hook from the closed thrift shop roof she had paused on.

"I've done what I can to sniff around," Harley told the others, "but I can't get wind of anything going down." She flopped her hands down in her lap, frustrated at the keyboard. "Any luck the good old fashioned way?"

"The city is quiet," Batman growled, prowling the edge of a rooftop as Robin scowled behind him.

"And I've had just as much luck with any leads on the Joker's assassin friend. Zero." Harley slammed the spacebar in frustration. "I even hacked the mobs. Nothing. They should really update their security. I found at least three police malware on their computer," Harley added. She pulled out her laptop. Whenever she got bored, she tried to hack into the Batcomputer. She hadn't been able to do it yet.

Batgirl inquired, slightly out of breath, "So you used the-"

"-yeah. So much faster that way."

"I've been trying to tell Nightwing that for years."

"No assignment for the rest of us, then?" Nightwing ignored Batgirl's comment, lazily swinging from a light pole before dropping to the concrete. Harley glanced up from her laptop.

"There have been some traffic violations. Feel like chasing down speedsters?"

Nightwing paused as he walked down the street. "Ha ha, very funny, Oracle- shit- _Harley-_"

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or a compliment," Harley muttered, glaring at Nightwing's tracker mark on the screen.

"I'd take it as a compliment," Batgirl told her, running through an alley.

"I'm going with insult," Harley decided.

"Hey," Batgirl snapped. She slid to a stop, peeking around the edge of a building at the jewelry store.

"Not an insult!" Nightwing insisted, picking up a discarded newspaper, three days old, and throwing it in the trash. The front page news was about Bruce Wayne financing the new cancer wing at the hospital and paying for dozens of patients' treatments, including a Lucy Monroe, sister to infamous robbers Marie and Bobby. "I'm just used to hearing Batgirl on the other end of the comm. We worked together for a long time."

"I don't think that helps your case, Richard," Robin mumbled.

"And I can only assume she doesn't miss it," Harley complained, "because this is super boring." She spun around in the chair, her head titled back.

"Exactly," Batgirl whispered, creeping to the back door.

"Want me to come back to the cave early?" Nightwing grinned. "I'm sure I could make the job more interesting."

"If the action doesn't pick up out there," Harley grinned, "maybe you could find some action in here."

"Oh God," Robin groaned. "We can hear you."

Nightwing bit his lip as he walked, laughing a bit. "Sorry, Robin. I'll keep it G-rated for you."

"How about you keep it off the comms," Batman suggested.

"Tactical conversation only," Nightwing repeated, leaping off of the curb and stomping in a puddle. He paused. "Were you really going to propose to Selina?"

"That isn't tactical conversation," Harley laughed. "Batman and Robin, police patrols have moved into your area. Maybe move to the next quadrant. And answer the question," Harley added with a grin.

"We are not discussing this." Batman walked along the edge of the building as a police car drove by on the street below.

"Well why not?" Nightwing asked petulantly. "What kind of ring would you even get a woman like that? I mean, she'd need one hell of a rock, wouldn't she? Oh my God can you imagine that wedding? I can see the little Batman and Catwoman cake toppers now…" he babbled distractedly as he walked, staying close to the shadows of the buildings, shrinking away from the occasional flash of headlights.

"Nightwing," Batman warned.

"I bet all the boys would look cute in their tuxes as groomsmen," Harley giggled.

"I'd obviously be best man," Robin sneered.

"No you wouldn't, Short Round," Nightwing said pointedly. "Ring bearer is what you get when you're ten years old. I've been around way longer than you have. Besides, did you ever think _Superman_ might be his best man?"

"No one is being my best man. We are not having this conversation!" Batman said before anyone else could input.

"Of course you'll have a best man," Nightwing rolled his eyes. "We'd all be groomsmen, Damian would be the ring bearer, and Harley and my little girl could be the flower girl. Assuming that this is a few years down the road. Selina would have a ball planning this." Nightwing suddenly laughed. "Get it? Because cats like yarn balls."

"You idiots have been discussing this, and I had to listen to it the _entire time_ I was taking down that robbery. But oh my God, Damian would look so adorable as the ring bearer," Batgirl added.

"I am not adorable," Robin objected.

"Yes you are," Batgirl insisted.

"I second," Harley agreed.

There was mumbled agreement from Nightwing. "Batman, I'm tired. I don't want to be out here, I hate walking…" he complained.

"Are you sure that you're not the one who's pregnant?" Batgirl smirked. "I'm coming to you, Nightwing."

"You don't know exhaustion until you try crime fighting in the first trimester," Harley warned; she checked through all the channels on the Batcomputer.

"I'm not sure I'd want to know," Batgirl shook her head, rounding the corner. Nightwing paused.

"What do you mean, Batgirl? Where are you at?"

"I'm almost to your location." She slowed down to catch her breath. "I mean that I never really wanted kids," she shrugged. Nightwing sprinted around a corner and crashed into Batgirl, and the two of them tumbled to the ground.

"Ow…" he groaned, rubbing his head.

"What happened?" Batman asked. Harley glanced at their trackers, guessing the truth.

"Nightwing watches where he's going about as much as he did when he was eleven," Batgirl stood up and helped him up.

"I was always careful!" he protested.

"I notice you said that in the past tense," Harley chimed in.

"I'm _always _careful," Nightwing cried into the comm. Batgirl giggled, and Robin couldn't help but smile.

"Hey wait." Harley was suddenly serious. "What-no," she gasped, her heart practically stopped at the police alert.

"Harley, what-" Nightwing sounded alarmed, until the police report came over their communicators.

"Code 12! Joker has escaped! All units to Arkham Asylum- I repeat, Joker has escaped-"

"Go! Now!" Batman barked, and they all leapt into action.

"They have no record that they were going to move him tonight!" Harley quickly searched every database again. "The only record is that his cell is finished." She was trying not to panic.

"It must have all been off-books," Nightwing swore under his breath, sprinting beside Batgirl. The two of them had been patrolling Uptown Gotham, and were the closest; Batman and Robin would still be a good distance away. He hoped that he and Batgirl would be enough. Nightwing fired a grappling hook, Batgirl grabbed his hand, and the two of them were pulled up into the upper tresses of the bridge to Arkham Island. As he sprinted along the thin metal beams, Batgirl followed; they crossed over the bridge and past the police roadblocks already set up below them.

"Dick," Harley said anxiously, "maybe you two should wait for backup."

"No! If he gets off that island and escapes into Gotham, we'll never find him. We'll be completely dead in the water." Nightwing said determinedly, diving off of the bridge and breaking his fall with the grappling hook. Batgirl glided silently down behind him.

"Dick!" Harley objected, standing up so fast her chair flew backward.

"You two be careful," Batman ordered; he and Robin were almost halfway there.

"Yes, sir," Nightwing responded, ignoring Harley. He didn't want to, but he knew that he had to keep going. He had to stop the Joker, or there was no telling what would happen.

"Joker would have come over the South bridge, across the island," Batgirl pointed, already running. Nightwing followed behind her.

"Don't go looking for him by yourself," Harley pleaded with the two of them, pacing in front of the computer.

"Don't exactly have a choice, Harles…" Nightwing said patiently.

"There. By the cliffside," Batgirl whispered, and they slowed to a walk, crouching out of the spotlights shining from Arkham's rooftop onto the burning prisoner transfer van. It lay on it's side with the back doors open, flames bursting from the driver's window. "The police escorts must have gone over," she stopped Nightwing with a hand on his shoulder.

"Why are there no officers around? Shouldn't this place be swamped with them?" Nightwing asked. They were hidden in shadow as he glanced at Batgirl, but she wasn't looking at him. He followed her gaze to the back of the van, where someone was rummaging around on the ground. "Batman," Nightwing pressed his comm. "We have visual on the Joker."

"Nightwing…" Harley stared at his tracker on the screen. Nightwing bit his lip and looked at Batgirl.

"Batman. Orders?"

"Access the situation," he commanded. "What is he up to?"

"Difficult to tell from our vantage point. I'll get closer," Nightwing said. Batgirl's arm shot out in front of his chest.

"No. I'll go. You stay here. Stay hidden," she snapped, and then slipped off into the dark before he could protest.

"Batgirl be careful," Batman warned.

"Oh come on, we all know I'm more careful than Nightwing is," she joked, but she sounded uneasy.

"He got what he wanted; he escaped," Harley thought aloud. "What is he still doing there?"

Batgirl crept closer, and the Joker came out of the van again, dropping down to sit on the ground after letting go of the body he was dragging. Squinting into the darkness, he slowly smiled.

"Well _well_. You're a long way from Kansas now, aren't you, Dorothy?" Joker called to Batgirl, panting slightly. Harley winced at his voice and hugged herself. Batgirl stood up, giving up her hiding spot.

"Give yourself up," she replied.

"Oh, don't mind me," he panted, his brow furrowing irritably. "I'll be fine. The bodies are just _heavy._ I think what they're saying is true, people just keep getting fatter as the times go on…" he sighed heavily, leaning back on his hands. "Well come sit down, don't be shy. I know I don't look very good in this jumpsuit, but I'll be glad of the company." Joker jumped and glanced over his shoulder as one of the windows in the van shattered. He giggled. One of the officers' semi-automatics was strapped over his chest. "As for giving up, I have no intentions."

"What are you doing here?" Batgirl asked, assessing the situation.

"I came to get my ruby slippers back," Joker snapped, shifting the gun to his side as if it's weight bothered him.

"You shouldn't have stayed if you didn't want to get arrested," she warned. "I have backup."

"Yeah, Batman and the Boy Savage, I figured," Joker rolled his eyes, flopping back into the grass. "Don't come any closer, and all that. I've got my own flying monkeys."

"What are you doing here?" Batgirl repeated, taking a step closer.

"I _said_-" Joker opened fire as he sat up, the gunshots ringing across the asylum grounds. Batgirl screamed as bullets bit through her body armor; at this close range, she never stood a chance. Nightwing's blood ran cold as she toppled backwards. "-don't come any _closer._" Joker hissed, standing over her in a second, pressing the barrel of the gun to her head. "Lets see if the wizard gave you any brains."

"Babs!" Nightwing shouted, the single gunshot echoing across the lawn. He ran.

Joker laughed madly as Batgirl fought through the pain, throwing his gun over the cliffside. She'd shoved the barrel of the gun to the side at the last second, the shot leaving her ear ringing and useless as she pinned him to the ground. Helicopter blades pattered in the distance, getting closer. "Did you hear him cry for you!?" Joker rasped, still laughing and gasping for air as Batgirl's knee pressed into his neck. "Wherefore art thou, Romeo-" he choked as she pressed against his throat, one hand held to her side where the bullets had bit through her armor. She could feel the blood.

A helicopter dropped down towards the cliff, and Batgirl was suddenly thrown off of the Joker by a dark hooded figure, and they rolled away to the edge of the cliff. Joker leapt to his feet, grinning into the darkness where he'd heard Nightwing call. "Come on, Romeo! Show me what you've got!" he shouted furiously, holding up his fists. Nightwing soared through the flames on the van, bringing an escrima stick down on the Joker's shoulder. A bone snapped and he screamed, his cry tapering off into laughter. "It's been a long time since I've seen you," he hissed, throwing a punch. Nightwing dodged and hit him across the back of the head with his escrima stick, but still he stood, laughing. "Keep trying, boy, you won't break me," he hissed.

"I'm not trying to," Nightwing snapped, swinging the escrima stick full force at his head again. This time the Joker whirled and caught it, twisting it out of his hand and cracking Nightwing across the face with it. Stunned by the blow, he stumbled; the Joker fumbled with the buttons on the weapon until the pronged taser shot out of the top. Nightwing tore the weapon out of his hands and punched him in the face, feeling his nose crumple inward as the Joker screamed and Nightwing's glove came back bloodied. He dropped to his knees.

"Alice!" The Joker barked suddenly, the red of the blood pouring down his face contrasting the stark white of his skin. The hooded figure stood immediately, leaving Batgirl motionless on the ground, and dove towards the Joker. She grabbed him around the waist and fired a grappling line at the helicopter. The Joker laughed as he was yanked off of the cliff before Nightwing could catch him.

"No!" Nightwing roared, snatching up his escrima stick and aiming the grappling hook at the retreating helicopter. If he acted _now_, he could still make it. He could still stop the Joker.

"Dick…" Batgirl said weakly, and he froze. She still lay on the grass a few feet from him.

"What happened?" Batman demanded into the comm.

Nightwing's heart sank. "Batman, get here _now_. South bridge. Batgirl's been hurt," he snapped as he rushed to her side, hearing the helicopter blades retreating in the distance. Nightwing slid to his knees and started putting pressure on the wounds. "Babs, there's too many, I-" he used her cape to press on the bulletholes; one in her arm, and two on the left side of her stomach. The Joker hadn't been going for a kill shot, he'd blindly fired.

"An ambulance is on the way," Harley said quietly.

"Come on, Babs, stay with me," Nightwing breathed, lifting her head up a bit. It lolled in his hand, and she blinked slowly, her lips pale.

"Dick…" her soft voice wavered.

"I'm here. Don't you dare close your eyes Barbara, I swear-"

"-I'm not gonna give up, Dick," she said, trying to sound forceful, but her eyelids fluttered.

"Bruce, where the hell are you!?" Nightwing shouted into the comm, pressing on the wounds. Blood seeped from the cape and over his fingers as Batgirl coughed. "God damn it, I shouldn't have stayed back- I should have been there- damn you Babs for telling me to stay back-" He pulled the bandages out of his pocket and held it between his teeth, wrapping it tightly around her waist to hold the cape in place.

"Don't be stupid. I couldn't let this happen to you," Batgirl mumbled, her breathing ragged. Nightwing could hear the sounds of the ambulance coming across the bridge. "Dick," she touched his face, choking a bit. "Take care of her, and take care of your little girl."

"Barbara don't do this," Nightwing pleaded quietly, tears burning his eyes.

Batman flew across the bridge, gritting his teeth and pressing the pedal to the floor.

Harley stood in the Batcave with her hands over her mouth, listening over the comms.

Batgirl smiled a little, blood staining her lips. "You have to-" she broke off, coughing- "tell my father bye for me. He always liked you," she whimpered. Nightwing bit back a sob.

"No. I'm not losing you, Babs."

He stood, holding her in his arms as the ambulance wailed to a halt on the edge of the bridge, the back doors flying open. Batman skidded to a stop on the grass a few feet behind them. Nightwing stood silhouetted in the flashing blue and red lights, Batgirl unconscious in his arms.


	50. You Did This to Her

_**He's gone.**_

_**The Joker's escape had hit the group like a ton of bricks, but Batgirl's fall was like a shot to the chest. Sharper. More precise. More painful. Of course he escaped. Harley had known this would happen, just as they all had, for days.**_

_**And he isn't finished yet. Batgirl was his first step, getting off of Arkham; he's not planning big anymore, and he's not taking no for an answer. Gotham's villains answer to him now. It's the beginning of the end. **_

Harley rushed in through the front doors. She side stepped a hurried nurse and ignored the secretary at the front counter. Pushing her way through the waiting room doors, she jogged down the hall, glancing around. She saw Dick and Bruce sitting outside the surgery room doors and went over, slowing to a walk. Bruce remained seated, his head bent down, but Dick stood when he saw her; he wore a black cargo jacket over a simple white t-shirt, and a dark bruise had formed on his face where the Joker had hit him with the escrima stick.

"Harley," Dick looked alarmed. "What are you doing here? It's not safe. The Joker, he got away…" he trailed off, looking down. He could barely breathe, the panic fighting for control in his mind.

"Are you okay?" she demanded, touching his bruise. "How is she?" Harley glanced at the doors, ignoring his worry. "Is she going to be okay?"

"We don't know," Dick looked down, taking her hand away from his face.

"And you?" She put her hands on either side of his face, making him look at her. Closing his eyes, he bit his lip. His jaw tightened under her hands.

"This is all my stupid fault. If I had gone with her, the Joker wouldn't have…" His hands shook, his voice cracking.

"This isn't your fault," Harley said firmly. "Dick, look at me."

"It is," he finally opened his eyes, the redness around them making the blue piercing and bright. "I went into that wondering if just Babs and me was enough. And then she went _alone._"

"It was a trap," Harley said gently, lightly trailing her thumb over the bruise. "If you had both gone, you both would have been killed. There is nothing you could have done."

"You can't know that," he said quietly, pinching his eyes shut and looking down again. "She might not make it, Harley." Bruce sat quietly, letting them have their moment.

"It's Barbara." Harley smiled weakly. "She's tougher than all of us, _and_ she's pulled through worse."

"God I hope you're right," Dick looked at her, hugging her tightly.

"You!" A voice quivered behind them. Dick turned around to see Commissioner Gordon standing in the hallway, looking absolutely exhausted. His face was furious and pained, tears streaming down his cheeks behind the lenses of his glasses. "You did this to her. _Damn you_. I knew that this would never end well!" His voice had risen until he was shouting. His shoulders trembled under his coat.

"Jim…" Bruce stood up, taking a step toward the Commissioner.

"And _you_!" Gordon cried, his face twisted in anguish. "Why didn't you save her!? You both could have _saved her_!" he was nearly screaming now. "How many times is this madman going to shoot up my daughter!? My baby girl," he looked down, starting to sob. Dick's jaw was set tight, his face pale at the Commissioner's accusations.

"Commissioner," Harley said, reaching for him. He flinched away, but she grabbed his arms anyway. "You need to calm down." She talked over his protest, nearly forced to shout, "What would Barbara want?"

"Don't you-"

"-What would Barbara want?" Harley repeated more quietly. "That's why we're here isn't it? Not because she's your daughter," she said harshly, "or what she does, but because of the choices she makes. If you think either of these two could have stopped her when she made up her mind, then you are in the wrong hospital. No one is to blame here but the Joker, so can everyone _please_ stop blaming themselves?" She glared at Dick, Bruce, and the Commissioner in turn.

Gordon's jaw was set tight, tears streaming down his cheeks. Dick looked away. Bruce stared evenly at him, understanding the pain of nearly losing a child. Gordon sank into a chair in submission and dropped his head into his hands. Harley sat beside him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay. Besides, Barbara would kick our butts for even _thinking_ the Joker could beat her."

"The doctors don't even know if she will make it," Gordon said weakly.

"Well the doctors don't know her," Harley countered. Dick smiled a little at her positivity, but it quickly vanished as a nurse stepped out of the operating room. Harley and Gordon stood.

"You're her father?" The nurse inquired, pulling her surgical mask away from her face. Gordon nodded hastily.

"She'll live," the nurse said quietly. Harley heard Dick breath a sigh of relief. "But… the trauma and loss of blood made her unstable. She went into cardiac arrest and we were unable to prevent her from slipping into a coma." Harley grabbed Dick's hand, practically crushing it. Dick winced, biting his lip.

"She's…" Gordon looked like he couldn't process the information. "She's… going to be all right?"

"She'll live, Commissioner. But the damage was quite extensive."

"What are you trying to tell me?" he demanded.

The nurse frowned slightly, her voice still gentle. "There is every chance she will wake up tomorrow, but there is also the chance that she won't at all."

"Won't…" Gordon sank down into the seat, his eyes unfocused.

"Is there anything that can be done?" Bruce stood beside Gordon.

"All we can do is wait."

* * *

><p>A man squashed the butt of his cigarette with his heel. He exhaled his last puff and turned around. He gasped a small grunt as a woman grabbed his throat and slammed him against the wall.<p>

"Don't smoke. It's bad for you," Poison Ivy purred.

"Shit," the man cussed.

"Come on, Ronald," Red Hood clucked his tongue, "don't you know not to swear in front of ladies." Ivy squeezed his neck tighter. "It's not polite." Ron's mouth moved, small gasping sounds coming out as his face turned red. Ivy released his neck and held him on his feet by his collar.

"We thought we'd just give you the friendly neighborhood head's up that the Joker's back in the game," Ivy breathed. "So you can show your allegiance."

"But…" Ron glanced between her and Red Hood.

"Oh Ronnie boy." Red Hood put a hand on Ron's shoulder. "If you don't go, you'll be killed," he said simply.

"Unfortunately, we're going to turn down our invite," Ivy hissed, her eyes narrowed. "Do you think you could pass a little message along for us?" As Ron wiggled a little, she pinned his chest with her elbow. "It would be a crying shame if you didn't go."

"It's nothing much." Red Hood leaned on the wall beside him. "Just let the bastard know that he is going to stay away from Harley and Dick. Those exact words. Go ahead and spread the rumor that he's gay, but he'll understand. Think you can do that?"

"He'll-he'll kill me," Ron stuttered. Even mentioning the Joker's former right hand gal's name was grounds for a bullet to the head. "P-please."

"Here's how we see it." Red Hood leaned his elbow on Ron's shoulder. "If you don't go, you're dead. If you do go, but don't say anything about this meeting, and the slimy bastard finds out, you're dead. If you do go and tell him, he may reward you, but you'll probably be dead."

"Your situation is pretty grim," Ivy stated. He was one of the men who'd worked for the Joker before the Hall of Justice incident. Ivy had kept tabs on him and a few others.

"But why me?" Ron cried.

"We decided to choose the most scummy scumbag we knew was going, and you fit the bill." Red Hood patted him on the head and stepped back beside Ivy. Ron thought about all the things he'd done, all the things they could _know_ about.

"That's not-"

"-Anyway," Red Hood sighed, and Ivy released him. "Have a great night. Enjoy it while you can." He whistled as he walked away, Ivy keeping pace beside him.

* * *

><p>Joker sat on the bottom two stairs. His fingers trummed a steady rhythm on the wooden step beside him as he stared vacantly ahead.<p>

"Boss?" one of the goons asked. There was a group of them, scattered about the floor of the comedy club, whispering. Without moving his eyes from where they were staring into space, the Joker pulled out a gun and shot the man in the chest. The rest of the lackeys took a step back; they fell silent. All of them had shown up because no one would dare not come to prove their support for the Joker. He was back, and they had to show their allegiance even if it would cost them their life. Even if showing up had gotten that goon and the former drug dealer named Ronnie killed.

The six-shot revolver smoked in his hand. "We have to kill them of course," Joker muttered as if he was continuing a conversation. "Maximum pain. I have my secret weapon, but where's the fun in that?" He wasn't smiling, he didn't even seem like he knew he was talking. Drying blood covered his face and darkened his Blackgate jumpsuit, still oozing a bit from his swollen and blackened nose. "He must suffer." Instead of the usual pleasure he drew from those words, he seemed more thoughtful. As if it was a fact. "He took her. I suppose I can't fault her completely," he mused. "Maybe once he has been… _removed_, she will see reason. She belongs to me." His fingers stopped trumming, and his hands clenched into fists. He bit back the pain of his broken collarbone. "She will be mine again."

"I doubt that," a man hiccuped. The others gathered stirred uneasily. The Joker looked at them all as if seeing them for that first time.

"Who said that?" he demanded, sickly sweet. A man stumbled forward, tripping into a seat.

"I did." Everyone else looked at him with disgust. "See, I worked at the circus. I did nothing wrong, merely helped a few mob friends." Matt waved his hands wildly. "But it was that… that Dick Grayson-"

"-WHAT?!" Joker cried, lunging forward to Matt. He grabbed his collar.

"Well he owns that circus. Got me arrested. Had to make a deal," Matt muttered. "Turn in some mob contacts-"

"-Focus!" the Joker screeched.

"He came, didn't he?" Matt grunted, his breath stinking of alcohol. "Him and that lady. The blonde one. Harley Quinn." The Joker's grip cinched tighter on Matt's shirt. "And she's not gonna turn 'gainst him. Not with what them circus people were saying."

"What. Were. They. Saying?" the Joker breathed.

"Well," Matt seemed oblivious to the Joker's fury. "She's pregnant."

Joker looked genuinely shocked. The group seemed to pause, hovering on his anger, ready to scatter when he blew. "She's what?" he asked, his voice not at all menacing. It was as if he hadn't heard the question.

"Pregnant, Mr. Joker, Sir."

His eyes narrowed, and he released Matt's shirt. "All right, he dies tonight," Joker said darkly, pulling out his revolver.

"Now now, Joker, don't get ahead of yourself," a lilting voice rose from the back of the room, where a figure shrouded in shadow sat at the one upturned table in the room. The figure's thin hands reached for a teacup on it's surface.

"Don't patronize me, Hatter," Joker spat in fury, turning around and firing the revolver. The figure dove out of the way and the brick behind him took full force of the blow.

"Now now, Chess, don't be like that," Mad Hatter clicked his tongue. Joker lowered his weapon, looking at the dirty floor. He didn't know how to react. His anger and hatred were worse than ever, so concentrated that it seemed to sober his insanity. All he could feel was the rage tearing a hole in his chest.

"I'll kill him. And then I'll kill her. Torture them both together, side by side…" He trailed off, as if he couldn't find the correct words to express his fury.

"Oh my smiling friend," Hatter stood, walking towards him timidly. "You'd kill me? Fire your gun at me? I got you out of prison, j-just like you asked."

"You did well, Tetch," Joker pocketed his gun, and Hatter breathed a sigh of relief. "Now, I need to go slit that bastard's throat, and watch him bleed out in his bedsheets," he hissed.

"Um, Joker?" Hatter raised a hand, and the Joker whirled on him, hovering on the edge of an outburst. "That may not be the best idea," he breathed.

"And why not?" Joker asked, his voice wavering dangerously.

"They know you're coming," Hatter told him. "Now, easy enough for a clown like you, but that's what they're expecting: you to show up." He walked to the side a little, watching Joker carefully. "Let them relax into their wonderland for a while, then send them through the rabbit hole. Can you imagine the chaos?" Hatter moved beside Joker with his hand forward as if he was imagining a far horizon. "The first Boy Wonder, perfectly happy, everything he's ever wanted about to come true, and then he has One. Bad. Day."


	51. Authors' Notes: Take III

"I feel like I just ran a marathon," Grayson grins, throwing her arms up. "That was a loooooong part. Of course, I did all the work," she shoots a glare at Quinn, waving her fingers in her face. "I think I got arthritis."

"How about I break your fingers? Then you won't be complaining about arthritis," Quinn warns, smacking her hand away. Grayson narrows her eyes and sticks her tongue out.

"Whatever. You know I'm going to make sure that this isn't as long as the last one. We're going to go chapter by chapter because I know there are things you wanted to talk about, and things that I want to brush on. Part Three- as I've said a million times- was totally my favorite! And it all started fairly well, I think. One of you commented on how nice it was, starting off so calmly. I liked that too. Um… first thing I have in my notes was Dick's final transformation to red," she smiles. "In our heads, it was to honor Harley's memory as much as it was to catch up to the New 52. While I love bird boy in blue, I really do like the red, too."

"He's a total copycat." Quinn giggles. "Harley was red first. Just kidding, now they match! Isn't that a chapter?" She smirks at Grayson.

"Yeah, I think Cassie commented on it in the Lex Luthor chapter," she thinks, twirling a pencil in her fingers. "It was kinda to wrap up the whole symbolism with the clothes. Anyway. We're so sorry you guys thought Harley was legitimately dead! I mean, not that sorry, but we thought you guys would be like 'been there, done that' and not fall for it, though we really did keep it a secret for a long time," Grayson laughs a little.

"Kept secret as in Grayson didn't even know when she was coming back. But that's chapters ahead, so I won't dare talk about it." She sticks her tongue out at Grayson.

"Chapter Two was the Jason and Ivy house hunting thing-"

"-Jay Ivy fuck the world!" Quinn cries. "That was for you readers!" She points dramatically at Grayson's computer. "I still hated having to go back to write it, but that's not important right now!"

"Three was Dick's nightmares- I love writing those."

"Fun fact, that was me writing Harley unlike some of Dick's other hallucinations. So, that was actually Harley and not Dick's perception of Harley and what she would say. I mean he was dreaming, but… it was her? Does that make sense?" Quinn looks at Grayson.

"It makes sense," she assures her. "Four was Nightwing's adventures in Gotham and Five-" Grayson glances at her computer. "Ooooh, Five ended with Dick sleeping with Barbara!" She giggles. "I seriously thought I'd get some hate for that." Quinn shoves Grayson.

"I hated you for that. That's the reason Harley's pregnant."

"It is?" Grayson stares at her in confusion, before bursting into laughter. "Oh my God that's right… Well you kept Harley a secret for so long, we're even. It's because I secretly secondary ship Dick and Babs," she whispers aside, still laughing. Quinn jumps up off the couch.

"I can't even be around you right now." She walks out of the room.

"Bring me food when you come back!" Grayson calls after her, still smiling. "Let's see… Oh! Six was drunk Dick!" she shouts after Quinn. "That chapter was so freaking fun to write. For both of us, Quinn has done Jason for so long that I can't even write for him now. I just don't know how." Grayson shakes her head.

"Hey!" Quinn pokes her head in the room. "You never did the 'killed them dead' thing in that chapter. 'Jason! You're killing them dead!," she wails before giggling and ducking out of the room again.

"I didn't!?" Grayson cries, scanning the chapter. "Huh, I thought that was in there somewhere… we talk about a lot of things that we don't always put in. In Chapter Seven- right off the bat you get a Supernatural reference, and then I think-" she looks up at the door. "Quinn! Was seven the first mention of the hit out on Nightwing!? We can explain that if you get your ass back in here!" Quinn rolls through the doorway hissing.

"I don't know," she mutters.

"Yes it was. Stop acting like a moron." Grayson smiles down at her. "There was a lot of background stuff going on here, a lot of Harley's plot. Not knowing she was alive meant we couldn't tell you. The Joker had the hit out on Dick, and basically Harley tailed him a lot, taking out the assassins and other threats to his life without his knowledge. This was also… was this when she was doing all the torturing and killing to figure out what the Joker was doing with Lex?"

"Yup." Quinn made her fingers into guns and pointed them at the ceiling. "Pew, pew. She killed a lotta dudes to get information. Maybe we'll do a one shot about it or something. This is boring." She flops her arms onto the ground. "My character's dead right now. These chapters suck."

"I know, just bear with me," Grayson lays down on the couch and pats Quinn's head, avoiding getting her fingers bitten. "Nine and Ten were mostly Batfamily cuteness, and Carrie's introduction. I loved doing stuff with Carrie. For those who might not know, Carrie was a Robin in a DC AU, The Dark Knight Returns, and then now, in the New 52, she's an aspiring director who knows the Batfam through Damian, just like we used her here. In the comics, Damian is getting acting lessons from Carrie and we don't really know why. Well… we answer that later, and it's awesome. But watch for Carrie later, too!" Grayson laughs.

"Okay, no really." Quinn sits up. "Did you guys really think we killed Harley? It's called Harleywing. HARLEYwing. We weren't going to just murder her off," she scoffs. "And I honestly think we lost readers at the beginning of this part because they really think she's dead. I'm not that evil." She lays back down, muttering to herself.

"I think she's right, too, I think people stopped reading," Grayson says sadly. "At the end of Ten, Dick is kidnapped by the Joker. And this brings us to the eighties."

"And to Harley!" Quinn cries.

"In the first draft we had all the chapters named chronologically by chapter and not by part, so this actually would have been chapter eighty-something. You may have heard us mention these legends. We loved these chapters." Grayson grins. "I cried at least three times re-reading these chapters."

"Wooo! These are the best!" Quinn rolls up onto the couch, across Grayson- kicking her a little, and sits with her legs tucked under her. "Go ahead." She waves Grayson on, bouncing slightly.

"Ok, um… I think it starts with the Joker torturing Dick, sorry for my sick-and-twisted there- but one thing I do remember wanting to brush on was the fact that- they do say this later- but the fact that it was really Harley he was seeing in these chapters. She was in the building, defusing the bomb that the Joker had promised to kill Dick with, and she was in the hospital. I don't think she was a hallucination until he got home." She glances at Quinn over her shoulders. "Another thing that anchored these chapters was some of the detail. We've never been stabbed or shot, but Quinn and I have both spent major time in the hospital, Quinn when she was a kid and me just a year ago I had an outpatient surgery thing. I remember, like, nothing about that. Except for the blurry images, which is where most of Thirteen came from. It's a lot of sleeping, and you're so damn tired and out of it that you miss a lot of things between certain memories. It kinda made it more real, writing from experience. The next thing was Dick getting stabbed in the shoulder. We actually almost fought about this, because to be completely accurate to where I'd stabbed Dick without thinking about it, he would lose the use of his arm. Well that presented a whole different thing, how do we get him back on his feet? We originally had Ivy give him the full-blown antitoxin, but instead we changed it." Grayson giggles and looks at Quinn. "For some really stupid reasons later on," she laughs.

"Oh my gosh this was so much drama," Quinn whines. "And you did not help. I remember I got so mad at you. I think that was around the time I was crying in my closet for no reason… Wow. Anyway, it's just super confusing, so let me break it down. Antitoxin- capital 'A'- is what Ivy gave Harley, but she gave Dick an antitoxin- little 'a' because he's not as special- for no real reason but just to be difficult… and so Dick wouldn't be Captain America or something." She leans her head against the couch. "Originally he was given the Antitoxin, but you," Quinn pokes Grayson, "went back and changed it. Whatever." She snaps back up. "Oh and there are more antitoxins later, but still, only Harley has the Antitoxin, so only she can heal like Wolverine or however many other Marvel lines I'm crossing there."

"Yeah that. Ignoring all of the hostility that Quinn clearly harbors against me still." Grayson picked at the blanket under her, not looking up. "Basically, the eighties was from when Dick got kidnapped, to the superfluous chapter with Bruce and Clark, when he's alright again. It was just emotionally fantastic. Then after that, there's some Batfam cuteness and Dick goes out on patrol again and then boom- Harley's back. This little bitch," she sits up, pointing at Quinn. "I had no idea that Quinn was going to bring her back when we wrote this chapter; it was a well kept secret. I basically went into that chapter as angry as Dick was at Jason, thinking he'd throw him around, and Jason would give him a clue that he and Ivy are actually working with Harley; when she spoke behind him, I nearly threw my laptop across the room in surprise and excitement."

"That was my goal!" Quinn cries. "If anyone threw a laptop, slammed a laptop, closed it in frustration, or broke it- sorry not sorry- let me know because that would just make my life." She giggles. Grayson punches her arm.

"And then I was thrown into the next chapter in as much shock as Dick was. How the hell was I supposed to react to that?! So, fun fact again: the inspiration for Dick Grayson's reaction to Harley's sudden return was John in Sherlock, when Sherlock turns up out of the blue on his date with Mary. Dick actually mimics some of Martin Freeman's actions from this scene in The Empty Hearse. And then Quinn goes and is a bitch again and she's all pissed cuz Dick slept with Barbara. I think that, had I not thrown the curveball of Dick and Barbara's one-night stand, this chapter would have gone a lot differently."

"Little bit." Quinn holds her fingers up, almost touching. "But maybe not, Harley just went on a killing spree- sure it was for good and righteous," she dramatically fist pumps, "reasons of protecting him and doing whatever it takes to stop the Joker, but it all turned out happy enough in the end for your liking. With some hints at the Harleywing baby." She sticks her tongue out at Grayson.

"We should… probably talk about that…" she laughed a little. "In the chapters before Dick even finds out he has a kid, there wasn't much except for the plot drama and Harley coming back from the dead. Each family member took that their own way, with two specific ones- I worked hard to make Barbara likeable again after my brief Dick and Babs romance. Damian is obviously the one having the hardest time adjusting with Harley's sudden resurfacing. We figured, with how much he cares for Dick, he'd have some choice words. And he did."

"Surprise!" Harley giggled. "Anyway, they kinda have to get over it considering I throw everyone into drama right away. Was that bad?" She glances at Grayson. "Now I feel like that was bad."

"Nah."

"Is anyone even following this for the plot anymore anyway? I think they're just here for the weird ships," Quinn makes a fog horn noise. "I'll still try like the Dickens with those weird plot plans I have though!" she exclaims.

"Should we talk about the baby? How that text conversation originally went?" Grayson grins, crossing her arms.

"If you bring up Barbara and him one more time, I'm leaving for real this time," Quinn warns. Grayson waves a hand dismissively.

"I loved bringing in the old Titans. Dick's Titans, Timmy's New Titans, and Dickie-Bird's Young Justice team. Minus the heroes that were inducted into the League, like Zatanna- another ex- and Cyborg. When everyone was together at Titans tower was pretty cool."

"Or the ones that died like Wally," Quinn remindes her. "RATATATATA!" she suddenly yells. Grayson bursts into laughter.

"Guys! I'm whelmed! Who taught you to fight?!" she cries, still giggling.

"Admit it, you've never been punched so fast." Quinn hides her face, giggling. "WOOOHOOO!"

"This guy's gonna be eating through a straw for a couple of weeks-" Grayson snorts, and then she covers her face. "Sorry! We play this stupid Young Justice game on the PS3, and we're always KF and Nightwing," she explains, laughing. "It's actually sad cuz Dick names his dog Wally after Kid Flash…"

"So, we have a break here. It's… twelve days I think." Quinn wrinkles her nose, unsure. "We tried to make it obvious that we were rolling with the days then bam, Joker trial. And that's where you meet the dogs. Wally is a Blue Heeler puppy, and Clark is an older Bernese Mountain dog. Wally is more medium sized dog while Clark is probably as big as me." She curls in a ball giggling.

"Oh my God! Speaking of video games," Grayson smack's Quinn's arm.

"We kinda weren't, but okay."

"We told you this all started from the Batman: Lego games, right? Well so did my deep seated hatred for Black Canary."

"Not this," Quinn groans.

"Fucking Black Canary- okay, on the bonus team levels in the Second Batman Lego game for Nintendo Flippin DS, I have one fucking bronze trophy because fucking BLACK CANARY can't do anything but scream-"

"-You just don't know how to work it."

"-and she dies every time."

"Not for me."

"She's useless, and I hate everything about Dinah Laurel Fucking Lance," she crosses her arms, ignoring Quinn. "Notice that my Joker killed her first when he got into the Hall of Justice." Quinn rolls her eyes.

"Yeah you're allowed to act like this about Black Canary, but I hate Babs and it's a big deal?" She shoves Grayson into the couch arm. "And sorry to our readers. The Hall of Justice was a place I told her to do whatever and lots of people died. I think Green Lantern died originally too. I try not to tell her to do whatever she wants anymore. When I do it, it's fine. Only main characters die." She smirks.

"I hated Barbara for a while too because of Alicia fucking Silverstone. Ugh. 'Barbara Pennyworth' what a fucking joke. 'Uncle Alfred!'" Grayson whines mockingly.

"Another thing about that movie, the ice age did not kill the dinosaurs." Quinn grins.

"She supposedly visited from a British fucking school!" Grayson cries. "She had no accent, unless you count stupid as one. Alfred was British! Like she had any rights to call him 'Uncle,' or touch fucking Chris O'Donnell… my fucking Chris O'Donnell you stupid non-British hoebag…" Quinn clamps her hand over Grayson's mouth.

"We're going to wait for you to calm down," she tells her. Grayson stares at her innocently and says something, muffled by her palm. She pulls her hand away, watching Grayson carefully. "What was that?"

"The. Train. Game." She stares at her pointedly.

"Mon. Op. Oly," Quinn replies.

"Guys, the train game is this fucking awesome game called Ticket To Ride but you have to buy the anniversary edition, and I know I played the American version but there's a whole bunch of other versions and in the anniversary one theres little giraffes sticking out of the circus cars and there are little barrell cars and passenger cars and it's so fun," she gasps, inhaling deeply when she finishes. "And I hate Monopoly," she glares at Quinn.

"And you get mad at me when I don't focus on this… thingy we're doing right now. The Afterworld. Word."

"There isn't much else to focus on. Ahh! Family drama! Joker is killing everyone! Even from prison! Barbara's in a coma! The end," Grayson narrows her eyes, knowing she's being difficult. "Anything to add?"

"Don't you wish to go into detail about why the Joker is so upset?" Quinn asks in mock seriousness. "You enjoy letting him attempt to murder people- as we've previously discussed."

"Why's he upset?" she asks cluelessly.

"Well didn't he have a pregnant wife before he became the Joker? Something like that. He's like… mirroring that onto Harley or something?" Quinn groans, hiding her face in the couch. "Why is being smart so hard right now? I can usually logic pretty good. Pretty. Good."

"Great SCOTT! you're RIGHT!" Grayson cries, grabbing Quinn's face. "Logic is hard because it's past your bedtime, but I'm just getting started." Quinn wiggles away from her. "The Joker, ladies and gentlemen, follows that widely accepted backstory from The Killing Joke, in which he was a bad comedian searching for his big break, with a supportive and loving wife carrying his child." Quinn starts making biting actions near her ear, but she just pushes her away. "In a desperate attempt to earn some cash, he helps these men rob a place- dressed as the Red Hood- he was more 'flashy Maitre D than motorcycle fetish'-" she giggles- "But that's where Batman accidentally knocks him into the vat of poison shit. Or whatever. I'm paraphrasing the comic. Then he goes home and finds out that the guys he was helping had killed his wife, and obviously, his child along with her. So keep that backstory in mind. That's why the Joker is so damn pissed off about Dick and Harley." She smacks Quinn who is chewing on her sleeve.

"There we go!" Quinn cheers. "I was a little useful! I reminded you of something important." Her face is still squished into the couch.

"It's about your bedtime, isn't it," Grayson asks, flattening a palm against Quinn's head and smooshing her into the cushion.

"I have work at eight am," she wails, flailing. "That's in like five hours. I know it's only twelve, but somehow that maths right for sleep."

"Yeah. So see you guys next time," Grayson shrugs, smiling. "And watch for Harleywing: Part Four, coming on Thanksgiving! Thank you all so much for your continued love and support and reading and commenting. Thank you!"

"I hate these!" Quinn wails, rolling across Grayson's lap and not noticing they were done. "They make no sense. Why are we in present tense? The story isn't. Can we break the fourth wall?" She leans up, staring at you the reader. "We aren't even in the same city let alone room? How does that work? Are you a hologram?" She gasps. "You're so lifelike!"

"It's called 'times reader' writing, or the like. Grayson and Quinn x Reader. Hi there!" She waves, tucking her ginger bangs behind her ear. "You're way cooler in person. Anyways, we'll have to say goodbye for now. Thank you all so much for reading and commenting and following. Be sure to go to Part Four and follow and read the first chapter! See you next time!"

"Bye!" Quinn giggles, waving excitedly and smacking Grayson in the face.


End file.
